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The above likeness of Chief Little Tiii'tle (Me-she-kin-no- 
quah) was made from a cut out of a very old book which had 
been reproduced from a painting made for him while in Phil- 
adelpViia. This painting was destroyed when the Capitol 
building at Washington was burned by the British in the war 
of 1812. Head dress on the forehead, contains three rattles 
from at least three rattlesnakes; has always been considered 
a splendid likeness of the famous Chief. 



LITTLE TURTLE 

(ME-SHE-KIN-NO-QUAH) 

THE GREAT CHIEF 

OF THE 

MIAMI INDIAN NATION 



BEING A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE TOGETHER WITH THAT 

OF \\M. WELLS AND SOME NOTED 

DESCENDANTS 



BY 

CALVIN M. YOUNG 



ILLUSTRATED 



I917 



Copyrighted, 19 17 

By Calvin M. Young 

Greenville, Ohio 



/ 



M I3l9f7 



)C!.A467417 



^ 



Historical facts should not be a burden to the memory, 

but an illumination to the soul. 

— Lord Acton, 



INDEX TO CHAPTERS. 

Page 

Foreword 

Chapter I The Miamis .13 

Chapter 11 Ke-ki-on-ga 31 

Chapter III St. Clair's Expedition 47 

Chapter IV Wayne's Campaign 69 

Chapter V The Great Council Fire 89 

Chapter VI The Treaty of GreeneVille 103 

Chapter VII Birthplace of Little Turtle 125 

Chapter VIII A Character Sketch 135 

Chapter IX Notes and Anecdotes 145 

Chapter X Burial Place 169 

Chapter XI Captain William Wells 179 

Chapter XII The Royal Line 197 

Chapter XIII Kil-so-quah, the Indian Princess 212 

Chapter XIV The Godfrey Family 224 

Chapter XV Romantic Episodes 232 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 

-~ Page 

Little Turtle Frontispiece 

Author 04 

LaBalme's Massacre g^ 

Josiah Harmar .c, 

Map Harmar's Battlefield |g 

Harmar's Ford _-_-------- ' 

Major-General Arthur St. Clair ^i 

Colonel Richard Butler ------r, ki 

Plan of St. Clair's Camp and Battle ^4 

Lieutenant-Colonel William Darke ^^ 

Wayne Street, Fort Recovery _ — - -- »» 

Coiicrete Bridge, Fort Recovery, Location bt. 

Clair's Artillery ^' 

Major-General Antony Wayne 00 

Outline of Fort GreeneVille ^» 

Outline Map of Darke County,— -_—---- ^^ 
Fort Wayne, Indiana, as it appeared m 1794— hi 

Boulder Memorial, Greenville, Ohio y^ 

GreeneVille Treaty Peace Pipe-------- JVJ 

GreeneVille Treaty Medal August 3, 1795 114 

Little Turtle's Farewell Address ii^ 

Little Turtle's Village Site_ -------- \f 

Map of Location of Little Turtle's Village Site__ 126 

Blue River Lake j^H 

Soldier's Monument, Fort Recovery — i-^^ 

Pioneer Soldier at Base of Fort Recovery Monu- 

TV-i OTI ■(" , _ 

View of Devil's~Lake with landscape scenery I60 
Washington's Sword from grave of Little 

Turtle 7 . 

Relics from "grave of Little Turtle --172-173 

Face and Back View of Little Turtle's Watch__ 175 

Captain William Wells — - — t^% 

Jane (Wells) Griggs and Grandson 1^6 

Old Fort Dearborn ^^S 

Chief Richardville (Pe-che-wa) -^-^ 

Kil-so-quah the Indian Princess, Son and 

Daughter ___ — ^^j 

Treaty Medal, Andrew Jackson ^^4 

Clarence Godfrey f;i^ 

Eva C. Corthell in Indian costume ^^^ 

5 




CALVIN M. YOUNG 

AVas born in Franklin Township, Darke County, Ohio, in 1S51. Is a member 
of both State and County Historical Societies, and is a local Historian of 
considerable note. During several years past, Mr. Young lias devoted 
much time and research to collecting historical facts relative to Little 
Turtle, the Great Miami Indian Chief. He has spared no time or expense 
in making the following sketch as near complete as possible. 



FOREWORD. 

Every great crisis in tribal or national life makes 
a forceful appeal to the bold and aggressive spirits 
found in all political bodies and calls forth leaders 
from among these to meet the new and changing 
conditions of the hour even at the hazard of life, 
property and personal comfort. 

This fact is forcibly illustrated m our own 
national history by the lives of Washington, Lincoln, 
Grant and many other heroic characters who estab- 
lished, fostered and conserved our country. 

We are not surprised, therefore, that the rapid 
expansion of the New England and Coast Colonies 
and the encroachment of the white man on the vir- 
gin domain of the lower lake region and the Ohio 
valley in the latter part of the eighteenth century 
and later called forth three great Indian chieftains 
in three successive generations, viz: Pontiac, the 
Ottawa, in 1762; Little Turtle, the Miami, in 1790; 
and Tecumseh, the Shawnee, in 1811. All these 
were distinguished characters scarcely excelled for 
bravery, military genius and statecraft by any other 
American Indian chiefs from the earliest white set- 
tlement to the present time. 

Parkman has given us a vivid description of the 
life and times of Pontiac; Drake has set forth m 
elegant language the illustrious career of Tecumseh, 
but the student who desired a comprehensive and 
complete account of the life of Little Turtle the great 
chief of the Miamis, has heretofore been doomed to 
disappointment. . 

It was this fact that stirred the author of this 
book to collect, compile and publish in a readable 
form all of the authentic information about this 
great chieftain that he could reasonably secure. As 
a boy, some fiftv years ago, the writer lived near 
the site of Little Turtle's birthplace where he became 



8 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

intimately acquainted with some of the early trap- 
pers and hunters who had lived in this vicinity while 
the Miamis M^ere still there. From these backwoods- 
men he learned many interesting tales of the early 
days which he treasured up in his retentive mem- 
ory and now utilizes in the preparation of this his- 
torical sketch. Thus has been rescued from oblivion 
many interesting- and important facts which are 
embodied in this work. 

The cordial reception given to an article entitled 
"The Birthplace of Little Turtle", prepared by my- 
self for the Ohio Archaeological and Historical So- 
ciety, and published in Vol. XXIII of the works of 
that society, and the earnest entreaty of several 
worthy and influential friends have also been large- 
ly responsible for my decision to compile and pub- 
lish this volume. 

On account of his previous valuable experience 
m compiling, editing and publishing various books 
and sketches of early Ohio valley history I have 
associated with myself in the editorial work of this 
book Mr. Frazer E. Wilson, who is largely responsi- 
ble for the form, style and arrangement of the 
material collected by myself. It has been his aim 
to present the historical data in a readable, pleasing 
and forceful style and the reader may judge to what 
extent he has succeeded in this matter. 

It has taken considerable travel and original re- 
search to secure the historical data embodied in this 
volume besides the careful perusal of many works 
on Indian and pioneer history. The author here- 
with gratefully acknowledges his special indebted- 
ness to the following authorities for valuable infor- 
mation pertaining to his subject: 

Brice's History of Fort Wayne; 

Howe's History of Ohio; 

Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Re- 
ports ; 

Abbott's History of Ohio ; 

Atwater's History of Ohio; 

Allen's History of Civilization ; 

Dillon's History of Indiana ; 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 9 

Cockrum's History of Indiana; 
J. P. Dunn's True Indian Stories; 
Lossing's Field Book of the War of 1812 ; 
Hand Book of North American Indians ; 
F. E. Wilson's Peace of Mad Anthony; 
F. E. Wilson's History of Darke County, Ohio; 
Mansfield's Personal Memoirs ; 
Parkman's Pontiac; 
Drake's Aboriginal Races; 
Drake's Tecumseh; 

Knapp's History of the Maumee Valley ; 
McAfee's Late War in the Northwest; 
Fergus' Historical Series; 
Collin's Early History of Kentucky ; 
Williams' Early Mackinaw; 
Harvey's History of the Shawnee Indians; 
McClung's Western Adventure; 
Drake's Life in the Wigwam ; 
Slocum's Ohio Country; 
American Pioneer ; 

Beers' History of Darke County, Ohio ; 
Howe's The Great West ; 
Catlin's North American Indians; 
Thatcher's Famous Indians; 
Blankard's Conquest of the Northwest; 
Woman on the Frontier; 
Kinzie's Wa-bun; 
Currie's Fort Dearborn; 
Perkin's Annals of the West ; 
Woods' Lives of Famous Indians; 
B. J. Griswold's Sketch of Fort Wayne; 
Frank Dildine's Sketches of the Miamis ; 
Prof. W. S. Blatchley for topographical and geo- 
logical information. 
Very valuable assistance has also been rendered 
by the Cincinnati University Library; the Burton 
Public Library of Detroit: the Public Library of 
Fort Wayne, Ind : ; The Chicago Historical Society ; 
The Greenville (0.) Historical Society; The Ohio 
Archaeological and Historical Society. 

A special debt of gratitude is due the following 



10 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

friends, who rendered valuable assistance in this 
work : 

B. J. Griswold and J. M. Stouder, of Fort Wayne, 
Ind.; 

Dr. Koontz, of Roanoke, Ind. ; 

C. K. Lucas, of Huntington, Ind. ; 
Frank Dildine, of Tiffin, Ohio ; 

Geo. A. Katzenberger and Harvey F. Dershem, 
attorneys, of Greenville, Ohio. 

The Chicago Historical Society has rendered a 
specially appreciated favor by loaning for repro- 
duction a reprint of a famous painting said to have 
been produced by an officer of Wayne's legion. 
This picture apparently represents Little Turtle's 
farewell address to General Wayne at foot of Stoney 
Alley, Greenville, Ohio, August 12, 1795. 

Mrs. H. H. Hayes, of Chicago ; Mrs. Henry Hulst, 
of Grand Rapids, Mich. ; and Eva C. Corthell, of 
Jacksonville, Fla., have also contributed many valu- 
able details to the family history of the subject of 
this sketch. 

In compiling this volume it has been our aim to 
present to the reader nothing but the most trust- 
worthy information that we have been able to secure 
from any source and to make this sketch reliable, 
readable and entertaining. 

Cicero said: "Not to know w^hat happened be- 
fore we were born is to remain always a child. For 
what were the life of man did he not combine pres- 
ent events with the recollection of past ages?" 

Future generations will hold us responsible if we 
fail to honestly and faithfully preserve the record 
of pioneer times. Our children should be taught 
and inspired with the spirit of genuine patriotism 
through a correct knowledge of the suffering and 
hardships of our fathers and mothers in the early 
settlement of our country. 

In this sketch the writer has tried to lay aside 
all personal dislikes that he may have had against 
the Redman — even though his great grandmother 
and some of her children, who were killed and 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 11 

scalped by the Creek Indians in Georgia during the 
Revohition. 

"No more for them the busy mother 
PHed her evening care 
Or children climbed her knee 
The evening kiss to share." 

We feel safe in the assurance that no critic can 
justly accuse the author of unfair discrimination 
against any person or race. 

It is the duty of the historian to deal with facts 
as they are found and to render justice to whom 
justice is due. With this as our aim we send forth 
this book in which are embodied the fruits of re- 
search and the results of the perusal of many of 
the most reliable writers on the subject herein 
treated. 

No doubt some errors have crept in our narrative 
but let us remember that it is human to err and 
that perfection is found in divinity alone. 

With these thoughts in mind we respectfully 
dedicate the following pages to the young and ris- 
ing generations and every true American who de- 
' sires more perfect knowledge of that great Indian 
Chieftain of the old Northwest whose deeds are so 
closely interwoven in American pioneer history. 

THE AUTHOR. 
Greenville, Ohio, March 16, 1917. 



LITTLE TURTLE 

(me-she-kin-no-quah) 
The Great Chief of the Miami Nation. 



I. 

THE MIAMIS. 

According- to the verdict of modern scholars the 
human race is divided into three well defined fami- 
lies, viz., the White or Aryan ; the Black or Negroid ; 
and the Yellow or Turanian. Until recent years it 
was customary to specify five families, but extended 
ethnological and archaeological research have proven 
conclusivelv that the Malay and the Red Man are 
closely related to the Mongolians and together com- 
prise the Turanian or Mongoloid family. The 
coarse black hair, the high cheek bones, the swarthy 
complexion, the cunning handicraft, together with 
the peculiar style of dress and customs of the North 
American Indians indicate a close relationship to 
the Nomadic Mongoloid tribes of Northern Asia and 
lend color to the conviction that America was peo- 
pled across Behring Strait at a remote date. When 
reminded of the striking resemblance between the 
Tartars and Indians, and the strong probability 
that America had been peopled from Asia the cun- 
ning Little Turtle, great Chief of the Miami In- 
dians, remarked, why not say that the Tartars are 
descended from us, and America the original home 
of both? The answer to this question is that the 
great mass of the Mongoloid peoples have lived in 
Asia from time immemorial, while the comparative- 
ly small number of North American Indians have 
no authentic records to justify the suggestion of the 
crafty Chief. In the absence of authentic records 
we can only speculate in reference to the length of 
the Red Man's residence in America. 

13 



14 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

The words of the poet beautifully portray the 
idealistic aspect of his life at the advent of his con- 
queror the "Pale Face." 

"The echo of the Red Man's voice 
Resounded through the vale 
It lingered on the evening air 
It floated on the evening gale. 

"It was borne along the mountain side 

It drifted through the glen 
It died away among the hills 
Far froni the haunts of men. 

"His face was iiushed with hues of health 

His arms and feet were bare 
He had a lithe and active form 
A scalp of raven hair. 

"Beyond the hills he passed from sight 
A sunken fallen star 
Until his voice is faintly heard 
Still calling from afar." 

— Anonymous. 

The Miami Indians belonged to the great Algon- 
quin family which occupied the upper Mississippi 
valley and a large portion of the basin of the St. 
Lawrence at the beginning of the seventeenth cen- 
tury. Tradition says that they once lived in the 
region of the Hudson Bay, and in their migration 
southward toward the Great Lakes became divided 
into two wings, the western of which probably came 
around the west end of Lake Superior" and into the 
Wisconsin region. The eastern wing probably 
came into contact with the Iroquois in the region of 
the lower lakes and were driven westward where 
they joined their brethren. 

The earliest recorded notice of the Miami nation 
is from information furnished in 1658, by Gabriel 
Druilletts, who called them the Oum-a-mik, then liv- 
ing sixty leagues from St. Michael, at or about the 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 15 

mouth of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Perrot Memoire 
says, that they withdrew into the Mississippi valley 
sixty leagues from the Bay, and were established 
there from 1657 to 1676, although Bacqueville de la 
Potherie asserts that with Mascoutens, the Kicka- 
poos and part of the Illini they came to settle at that 
place about 1667. 

Probably the first time the French came into 
actual contact with the Miamis was when Perrot 
visited them about 1668. His second visit was in 
1670, when they were living at the head w^aters of 
Fox river, Wisconsin. In 1671, a part at least of 
the tribe were living with the Mascoutens in a pali- 
saded village in this locality. Soon after this the 
Miamis parted from the Mascoutens and formed 
new settlements at the south end of Lake Michigan, 
and on Kalamazoo river, Michigan. The settle- 
ments at the south end of the lake were at Chicago 
and on the St. Joseph river emptying into that lake 
where missions were established late in the seven- 
teenth century, although the former is mentioned as 
a Wea village at the time of Marquette's visit and 
Weas were found there in 1701, by Decon St. 
Marche. It is likely that these Weas were the 
Miamis mentioned by Allovez and others as being 
united with the Mascoutens in Wisconsin. 

The chief village of the Miamis on St. Joseph 
river was, according to Zenobious, about fifteen 
leagues inland, in latitude forty-one degrees. The 
extent of territory occupied by this tribe a few 
years later compels the conclusion that the Miamis 
m Wisconsin, when the whites first heard of them, 
formed but a part of the tribe, and that the other 
bodies were already in northeast Illinois and north- 
ern Indiana, as the Miamis and their allies were 
found later on the Wabash, in Indiana, and in north- 
west Ohio in which territory they gave their name 
to three rivers and to one county, each in Ohio and 
Indiana. These facts seem to indicate that they 
moved to the southeast from the localities where 
first known within historic times. The tribe was 



16 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

usually distinguished by early English writers as 
"Twightwees", which signifies the cry of a crane. 

According to Brice in his "History of Fort 
Wayne," one Major Thomas Forsyth, who lived 
among the Sack and Fox Indians for more than 
twenty years, wrote in 1826, as follows: "More 
than a century ago, all the country, commencing 
above Rock river and running down the Mississippi 
to the mouth of the Ohio, up that river to the mouth 
of the Wabash, thence up that river to Fort Wayne, 
thence down the Miami of the Lake some distance, 
thence west to the St. Joseph and Chicago; also 
the country lying south of the Des Moines down 
perhaps to the Mississippi, was inhabited by a 
numerous nation of Indians who called themselves 
Linneway, and were called by others, Minneway, 
signifying "Men." This great nation was divided 
into several bands, and inhabited different parts of 
this extensive region, as follows: The Michiga- 
mies, the country south of Des Moines; the Caho- 
kias, that east of the present village of Cahokia in 
Illinois; the Kaskaskias, that east of the town of 
that name; the Tamarois had their village nearly 
central between Cahokia and Kaskasia ; the Pianke- 
shaws, near Vincennes ; the Weas, up the Wabash ; 
the Miamis on the headwaters of the Miami of the 
Lakes, on the St. Joseph river and at Chicago. 
The Piankeshaws, Weas and Miamis must at this 
time have hunted south toward and on the Ohio. 
The Peorias, another band of the same nation, lived 
and hunted on the Illinois river; the Mascos or 
Mascoutens, called by the French "Gensdes Prai- 
ries", lived and hunted on the great prairies between 
the Illinois rivers. All these different bands of the 
Minneway nation spoke the language of the present 
Miamis, and the whole considered themselves as one 
and the same people; yet from their local situation 
and having no standard to go by, their language 
became broken up into different dialects. These 
Indians, the Minneways, were attacked by a general 
Confederacy of other nations, such as the Sacks 
and Foxes, resident at Green Bay and on the Ouis- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 17 

consin ; the Sioux, whose frontiers extended south 
to the river Des Moines ; the Chippeways, the Otta- 
ways, and Pottawattomies from the lakes and also 
the Cherokees and Choctaws from the south. The 
war continued for a great many years and until the 
great nation the Minneways were destroyed, except 
a few^ Miamis and Weas on the Wabash, and a few 
who were scattered among strangers. Of the Kas- 
kaskias, owing to their wars and their fondness for 
spirituous liquors, there now (1826) remain but 
thirtj' or forty souls; of the Peorias near St. Gene- 
vieve, ten or fifteen; of the Piankeshaws, forty or 
fifty. The Miamis are the most numerous; a few 
years ago they consisted of about four hundred 
souls. Thei'e do not exist at the present day more 
than five hundred souls of the once great and pow- 
erful IMinneway or Illini nation". 

The Miamis also suffered greatly from the fre- 
quent incursions of the terrible Iroquois. Charles 
B. LaSelle, an Indian writer, says that when the 
Miamis were first invited by the French authorities 
to Chicago in 1670, for a conference, they were a 
powerful nation. Their chieftain could lead into 
the field an army of five thousand warriors. Of all 
their villages Kekionga v.^as the most important, it 
being the largest and most central of their posses- 
sions. Such was the Miami Confederacy at that 
time, and such it was in 1679 or 1680, when LaSalle 
the French explorer visited their famous village on 
the Maumee. 

The Iroquois league was the most remarkable and 
unique Confederacy mentioned in Indian history. 
At the beginning of the seventeenth century it em- 
braced the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, 
and Senecas, and became known as the Five Na- 
tions. The Tuscaroras, a related tribe living to the 
southward, joined them in 1775, and the Confeder- 
acy became known henceforward as the "Six Na- 
tions." At the coming of the early white settlers 
they were found in possession of the greater part of 
the state of New York. The Dutch and British 
traders cultivated friendly relations with them and 



18 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

influenced them against the French whose designs 
they thwarted in the East. Their perfect union, 
unbroken almost to the last, and their favored loca- 
tion gave them supremacy among the Indian tribes. 
They have been called the Romans of the New 
World, and were certainly like the Romans in that 
they were remorseless, bloodthirsty conquerors ever 
seeking the spoils of war. For years they held all 
the tribes from the plains of the Mississippi to the 
shores of the Atlantic, and from the Tennessee river 
to the St. Lawrence under the spell of their powers. 
The Miami Confederacy, which was formed to resist 
their encroachments, was their strongest foe, and 
was frequently brought into contact with the Iro- 
quois in the wars for spoils waged by the latter. In 
their homes farther east the settlements of the white 
man were gradually limiting the hunting grounds 
of the Six Nations for the purpose of securing furs 
for sale or exchange to the French traders, who at 
an early date had established trading houses in 
Canada and other points in the east, the Iroquois 
mvading the west, the lands of the Miami Confed- 
eracy being included. These invasions the latter 
tribes of Indians repelled and as a consequence the 
wars with the Iroquois became frequent, and thou- 
sands of Indian warriors in both contending Confed- 
eracies were slain during the years of conflict. 

The Iroquois, in a general way, were the conquer- 
ors, but about 1684, they met with a most disastrous 
defeat. The Miamis had joined their kindred the 
Illinois Indians in resisting an invasion of the Iro- 
quois and after a war that lasted three vears, so 
the historian, Chas. B. LaSelle says, the invincible 
Iroquois of New York, these Romans of America, 
were terribly worsted. 

The deadly havoc among the Indians as a result 
01 these tribal and confederacy wars was great 
About that period, the historian continues, so thin 
and scattering was the Indian population that one 
might sometimes journey for days through the for- 
ests and not meet a human form. Broad tracts 
were left m solitude. All of Kentucky was a vacant 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 19 

space, a mere skirmish ground for hostile war par- 
ties of the north and south. A great part of upper 
Canada, Michigan and of Ilhnois besides other por- 
tions of the west seemed tenanted by wild beasts 
alone. 

According to the best traditional authorities the 
dominion of the Miami Confederacy extended for a 
long period of time over that part of the state of 
Ohio which lies west of the Scioto river, the whole 
of Indiana, the southern part of Michigan and the 
principal portion of that part of the state of Illinois 
which lies southeast of the Fox and Illinois rivers. 

The Miamis have preserved but little tradition of 
their migration as a tribe from one country to 
another; and the great extent of territory which 
was claimed by them may be regarded as some evi- 
dence of the high degree of national importance 
which they formerly maintained among the Indian 
tribes of North America. 

In the early part of the eighteenth century, and 
perhaps for a long period before that time, the 
Miamis dwelt in small villages at various suitable 
places within the boundaries of their large territory. 
Some of these villages were found on the banks of 
the Scioto; a few were situated in the vicinity of 
the head waters of the great Miami river; some 
stood on the banks of the Maumee ; others on the St. 
Joseph of Lake Michigan and many were found on 
the borders of the Wabash and on some of the prin- 
cipal tributaries of that river. The villages which 
stood on the banks of the St. Joseph of Lake Michi- 
gan, those which lay about the head waters of the 
Maumee, and those which stood on the banks of the 
river Wabash were often visited by christian mis- 
sionaries and by fur traders before the middle of 
the eighteenth century. These visits were not, 
however, of long duration, and the different periods 
at which the French founded settlements at or near 
the sites of these Indian villages can not now be 
stated with any degree of certainty. Neither the 
occasional presence of a missionary, the sojournings 
of adventurous explorers of the country, nor the 



20 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

periodical visits of the fur traders can be fairly- 
regarded as the founding- of civilized settlements. 

In the year 1672, the Indians, who lived in the 
vicinity of the southern shores of Lake Michigan, 
were visited by the missionaries Allouez and Dab- 
Ion, who opened the way for many subsequent but 
almost fruitless attempts to establish missions with- 
in the territories of the Miamis. 

Among the missionaries who visited this terri- 
tory between the years 1672 and 1712, were Ri- 
bourde, Mambre, Hennepin, Marquette, Pinet, Bin- 
neteen, Rasles, Perrot, Bergen, Mermet, Marest, 
Gravier, Deville and Chardon. The history of the 
missionary labors of these men is a record of perse- 
verence, suffering and disappointments. In heathen 
lands the efforts of christian missionaries have of- 
ten been resisted and sometimes wholly defeated by 
obstacles which were based upon the adverse relig- 
ious tenets and the political strategems of rival 
christian nations. For a period of one hundred and 
fifty years Protestant England and Catholic France 
were rivals in the great works of acquiring terri- 
torj^ planting colonies and establishing trade among 
the Indian tribes of North America. Of the Chris- 
tian missionaries of these two nations very few, 
if any, were wholly free from the influence of the 
hostile rivalry that was brought into action and 
maintained by their respective governments. 

Among a number of reasons assigned for the 
planting of British colonies in New England was 
one which assumed that it would be a service to the 
church of great consequence to carry the true Gos- 
pel into those parts of the world and raise a bul- 
wark against the kingdom of Anti-Christ which the 
Jesuits were credited with laboring to rear up in 
all parts of the world. 

The Rev. Cotton Mather in his "Ecclesiastical 
History of New England," says that in the year 
1696, an Indian Chief informed a Christian minister 
of Boston that the French, while instructing the 
Indians in the Christian religion, claimed that the 
Savior was of the French nation; that those who 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 21 

murdered Him were of the English nation; and 
that, whereas He rose from the dead and went up 
to the heavens, all who would recommend them- 
selves unto His favor must avenge His quarrel upon 
the English as far as possible. But the Indians, it 
seems, had little confidence in what the missionaries 
told them, as the so-called Christian traders who 
dealt commonly with them with the design of gain 
thought of nothing but cheating and lying to become 
rich in a short time. They used all manner of stra- 
tegems to get the furs of the savages cheap ; they 
made use of lies and deceptions to gain double if 
they could. On a certain occasion a trader sold 
needles for one dollar apiece, telling the prospective 
Indian customer that the only man who could make 
needles had died and that he had possession of all 
his remaining stock. Such practices, without doubt, 
caused an aversion against a religion which was 
falsely professed by men of so base a type. 

The Miamis took a prominent part in all Indian 
wars in the Ohio valley until the close of the War 
of 1812. Soon afterward they began to sell their 
lands and by 1846, had sold about all of their hold- 
ings in Indiana and had agreed to remove to Kan- 
sas, whence they went later to Indian Territory, 
where a small remnant still resides. Quite a num- 
ber refused to go to their new homes and the gov- 
ernment was compelled to remove them by force. 
In the meantime intemperance and smallpox had 
greatly reduced their number. A considerable part 
of the tribe, commonly known as the Meshingomeshia 
band, continued to reside on a reservation in 
Wabash county, Indiana, until 1872, when the land 
was divided among the survivors, then numbering 
about three hundred. In all treaty negotiations 
they were considered as the original owners of the 
Wabash country, and all of western Ohio. While 
the other tribes in that region were regarded as 
tenants or intruders on their lands. 

In 1718, the Miami men were described as being 
of medium height ; well built ; heads rather round 
than oblong; countenances agreeable rather than 



22 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

sedate or morose ; swift on foot and excessively fond 
of racing. They used scarcely any covering and 
were tattooed all over the body; while women were 
generally well clad in deerskins. The latter were 
hard working and raised a species of maize unlike 
that of the Indians of Detroit, which is described 
as being white, of the same size of the other, but 
having a much finer skin and making a much finer 
meal. 

According to the early French explorers the 
Miamis were distinguished for polite manners, mild, 
afi'able and sedate character; and for their respect 
for, and perfect obedience to their Chiefs, who had 
greater authority than those of other Algonquin and 
Northwest tribes. They usually spoke slowly, and 
were land travelers rather than canoe-men. In his 
search for the great river in 1673, Marquette en- 
countered the Miamis in the Fox river region of 
Wisconsin, and noted that they were friendly, lib- 
eral, docile and fond of instruction. They were 
eager to listen to the missionary, Father Allouez, 
who lived among them shortly before this time, that 
they allowed him scant repose, even in the night. 
Two of the Miamis accompanied Marquette and 
Joliet as guides on their way to the portage of the 
Wisconsin river. 

LaSalle tells us that the Miami Indians were the 
most civilized of all the Indian nations, neat in 
dress, splendid of bearing, haughty of manners, and 
held all other Indian tribes as inferiors. Of all 
the Indians of America the Miamis approached 
nearest to the ideal of the true aborigine. Accord- 
ing to early explorers they worshipped the sun and 
thunder, but did not honor a host of minor deities 
like the Hurons and Ottawas. 

Three forms of burial appear to have been prac- 
ticed by the division of the tribe living about Fort 
Wayne: First, the ordinary ground burial in a 
shallow grave prepared to receive the body in a 
recumbent position ; second, surface burial in a hol- 
low log in which method either a tree was split and 
the halves hollowed out to receive the body, being 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 23 

afterward closed; third, surface burial, wherein the 
body was covered with a small pen of logs laid as 
in a log cabin, and crosses meeting at the top in a 
single log. Nothing could be more affecting than 
the sight of a young mother hanging the coffin that 
contained the remains of her beloved child to the 
pendant branches of the flowering maple and sing- 
ing her lament over her loved one as the body 
waved in the breeze. 

''It seemed her voice in bitterest woe 
To sobs and tears had given birth. 
And all sad things did list to her 
And all sad things did weep to her 
As she moaned her song and her song's refrain 
Over and over and over again." 

According to Morgan the Miamis had ten gentes : 
first, Mowhawa (Wolf) ; second, Mongwa (Loon) ; 
third, Kendawa (Eagle) ; fourth, Ahpakosa (Buz- 
zard) ; fifth, Kanozawa (Panther) ; sixth, Pilawa 
(Turkey) ; seventh, Ahseponna (Raccoon) ; eighth, 
Monnato (Snow) ; ninth, Kulswa (Sun) ; tenth, 
(Water). 

ChaMvi^nerie in 1737, said that the Miamis had 
two principal totems : the Elk and the Crane, while 
some had the Bear. The French writers call At- 
chatcha-kan-gcnen (Crane) the leading division. At 
a great conference on the Maumee in Ohio in 1793. 
the Miamis signed with Turtle totem. None of 
these totems occur in Morgan's list. 

In 1905, the total number of Miamis in Indian 
Territory was one hundred and twenty-four (124) ; 
in Indiana there were two hundred and forty-three 
(243) in 1910. The latter; however, are greatly 
mixed with white blood. Including individuals 
scattered among other tribes the whole number is 
probably four hundred (400) today. 

The Miamis joined in, or made treaties with, the 
United States, as follows : First, at Greenville, 
Ohio, with General Anthony Wayne, August 3, 1795, 
defining the boundary between the Ihiited States 



24 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

and tribes west of the Ohio river and ceding- certain 
tracts of land; second, Fort Wayne, Indiana, June 
7, 1803, with various tribes, defining boundaries 
and ceding certain lands; third, Gronseland, Indi- 
ana, August 21, 1805, ceding- certain tracts of lands 
m Indiana and defining: boundaries; fourth. Fort 
Waj^ne, Indiana, September 30, 1809, in which the 
Miami, Eel River tribes and Delawares ceded cer- 
tain lands in Indiana and the relations between the 
Delawares and Miamis regarding- certain territory 
were defined; fifth. Treaty of Peace at Greenville, 
Ohio, July 22, 1814, between the United States, the 
Wyandottes, Delawares, Shawnees, Senecas and the 
Miamis, including the Eel River and Wea tribes; 
sixth. Peace Treaty at Spring Wells, Michigan, Sep- 
tember 8, 1815, by the Miami and other tribes; 
seventh, St. Mary's, Ohio, October 6, 1818, by which 
the ]\Iiami ceded certain lands in Indiana; eighth, 
Treaty of the Wabash, Indiana, October 23, 1826, 
by which the Miamis ceded all of their land north 
and west of Wabash and Miami rivers ; ninth, Wy- 
andotte village, Indiana, February 11, 1829, by 
which the Eel River Miamis ceded all of their claim 
to the reservation on Sugar Tree creek, Indiana; 
tenth, forks of the Wabash, Indiana, October 23, 
1834, by which the Miamis ceded several tracts in 
Indiana; eleventh. Forks of the Wabash, Indiana, 
November 6, 1838, by which the Miamis ceded most 
of their remaining lands in Indiana, and the United 
States agreed to furnish them a reservation west 
of the IMississippi ; twelfth, Forks of the Wabash, 
Indiana, November 28, 1840, by which the Miamis 
ceded their remaining lands in Indiana and agreed 
to remove to the country assigned them west of the 
Mississippi; thirteenth,- Washington, June 5, 1854, 
by which they ceded a tract assigned by amended 
treaty of November 28, 1840, excepting seventy 
thousand acres retained as a reserve; fourteenth, 
Washington, February 23, 1867, with the Senecas 
and others, in which it is stipulated that the Miamis 
i-nay become federated with the Peorias and others 
if the}' so desire. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 25 

Among the better known settlements, or villages 
of the Miamis were Chicago (Chicago, 111.) ; Chip- 
pekawkaj^ (Vincennes, Ind.) ; Choppatees (on St. 
Joseph river a few miles above Fort Wayne, Ind.) ; 
Kekionga (Fort Wayne, Ind.) ; Kenapacomaqua, 
Little Turtle's Town (Blue River Lake) ; Kokomo 
(Kokomo, Ind.) ; Meshingomesia (on the Mississin- 
ewa. Liberty township, Wabash county, Ind.) ; 
Missimquimescan (near Washington, Daviess coun- 
ty, Ind.) ; Mississinewa (near Peru, Ind.) ; Osage, 
Ouiatenon (Wabash river, near LaFayette, Ind.) ; 
Pamedketeha; Piankeshaw (Wabash at junction of 
Vermillion) ; Pickawillanee (Miami river above 
Piqua, 0.) ; Raccoon's Village (at the mouth of 
Aboit creek, near Roanoke, Ind.) ; Seek's Village 
(on Eel river, Whitley county, Ind.) ; St. Francis 
Xavier Mission, and others (St. Joseph river of 
Lake Michigan) ; Thorntown (on Eel river) ; Tip- 
pecanoe (Wabash river, near mouth of Tippecanoe 
river, Tippecanoe county, Ind.). 

General W. H. Harrison said that, saving the ten 
years preceding the Treaty of Greene Ville in 
1795, the Miamis alone could have brought more 
than three thousand wari'iors into the field ; that 
they comprised a body of the finest light troops in 
the world, and had they been under an efficient sys- 
tem of discipline or possessed enterprise equal to 
their valor, the settlement of the country would 
have been attended with much more difficulty than 
w^as encountered in accomplishing it and their final 
subjugations would have been delayed for years. 
Although constant wars with our frontiers had de- 
prived them of their warriors, the ravages of small- 
pox was the principal cause of the great decrease in 
their numbers. 

Subsequent to the Treatj^ of GreeneVille their 
demoralization was rapid in its progress and terri- 
ble in its consequences, so much so that when the 
Baptist missionary, the Rev. Isaac McCoy, was 
among them during the years from 1817 to 1822, he 
declared the Miamis were no longer a warlike peo- 
ple. At the villages on Sugar Creek, Eel River 



26 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



and the Mississinewa, and particularly at Fort 
Wayne, it was a continuous round of drunken de- 
bauchery whenever whiskey could be obtained, of 
which men women and children partook alike, and 
hte was often sacrificed in personal brawls or by 
weather^ debauches to the inclemency of the 

17Q^ ^'^T^if.u'H':^"^ i^^to at various times from 
179o, to 1845 the Miamis ceded their lands in Ohio 
Indiana and Illinois and removed west of the Miss 
issippi, going in villages or by detachments from 
time to time In 1838, at a single session, thev sold 
to the United States government one hundred and 
seventy-seven thousand (177.000) acres of land in 
Indiana, which was only a fragment of their for- 
mer possessions, although still retaining large 
tracts. Thus they alienated their heritage piece by 
piece to make room for the incoming population 
V^lu ^.7. g:radually disappeared from the vallevs 
of the Wabash and Maumee. A few of them who 
clung to their reservations, adapted themselves to 
the ways of the Americans and their descendant 
and are now to be met with in or about the cities 
that have sprung up in the localities named The 
money received from the sale of their lands proved 
a c-alamity as the proceeds were wasted for whiskey 
The last of the Miamis to go west were the Miss- 
issinewa band. This remnant, comprising in all 
about three hundred and fifty (350) persons in 
charge of Christian Dazney, left their old homes 
where many of them had farm houses and had made 
considerable progress in agriculture. Going to Cin- 
cinnati m the fall of 1846, thev were placed on a 
steamboat, taken down the Ohio, up the Mississippi 
and Missouri rivers and landed late in the season 
at Westport, near Kansas City. Ragged men, and 
naked women and children, forming a motley group 
were huddled upon the shore of a strange land with- 
out food or friends to relieve their wants, and ex- 
posed to the bitter December winds that blew from 
the chilly plains of Kansas. From Westport the 
Missmewas were conducted to a place near the pres- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 27 

ent village Lewisburg, Kansas, in the county since 
named Miami. They suffered greatly and nearly 
one-third of their number died the first year. 

Mrs. Mary Batiste Peoria, then wife of Christian 
Dazney, the agent having these unfortunate people 
in charge, who accompanied her husband in this 
work, stated that strong men would actually cry 
when they thought about their old homes in Indiana, 
to which many of them would make journeys bare- 
footed, begging their way and submitting to the 
imprecation hurled upon them from the door of the 
white man as they asked for a crust of bread. She 
saw fathers and mothers give their children away 
to others of the tribe for adoption and then singing 
their funeral songs and joining in the solemn dance 
of death, go calmly away from the assemblage never 
again to be seen alive. 

Some two years were required to accomplish the 
removal of the Miamis from their Indiana homes to 
the new reservation in Kansas. The beginning of 
the disappearance of the tribe took place in the 
summer of 1844, under the stipulations of a treaty. 
August 1st had been designated as the time for all 
members of the tribe to be ready to be taken west 
in a body under government escort, but it was found 
when that day arrived that very few had made any 
preparations to leave. 

The Miami reservation extended from the south- 
western corner of Allen county and included a large 
portion of Howard, Wells, Huntington, Wabash, 
Grant and Miami counties. The reluctance of the 
Indians to comply with the terms of the treaty 
forced the government to send troops under Captain 
Jouett, a thoroughgoing, prompt, energetic old sol- 
dier, just the kind of a man to make short work of 
a job of this kind, and Mr. St. Clair, government 
sub-agent. The troops did not arrive, however, un- 
til September, 1846, and many of the Indians had 
to be brought forcibly to the place of rendezvous 
previous to taking their departure. 

One writer says that many had to be hunted down 
like wild animals; some were actually found in the 



28 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



tops of trees; others secreted themselves in swamps 
and many fled from the locahty, coming bad 3v 
after the emig-ration had taken place, when thev 
were forwarded as prisoners to their new home in 
the eastern part of Kansas. Numbers of them found 
their way back to the reservation, but were ulti- 
mately returned. A few of this class persisted in 
returnmg- and never did go back, but spent vagrant 
lives m the vicinity of the reserve. Much ill feel 
mg was aroused by the action of the government in 
showing marked favoritism toward certain leaders 
of the tribe including the families of Chief Richard- 

IhP h.i^flfi'' f It ^^5'"^,'^ "^"^ Meshingomesia and 
tlie bi others of the latter living on the Mississinewa. 
Ihese were allowed to retain their lands and some 
were richly rewarded in other ways. It was well 
understood that this agreement was accomplished 
through fraud and a collusion on the part of some 
unprincipled men, chiefs and others of the tribe 
who were bought up by grants of lands and money 
as ^^;ell and even is said that Richardville, their 
tribal chief for half a century, who had taken such 
an active and questionable part in forcing this 
treaty upon his people, had to flee to Canada and 
remain there until the excitement and wrath of his 
people had died out. Chief Richardville, for his 
services m this matter, received several sections of 
the most valuable lands in northern Indiana: not- 
ably a large tract lying along the St. Marys river 
four miles southwest of Fort Wayne, upon which 
the government built him a large and comfortable 
brick house where he resided until his death 

Many of the Miamis were brought through Fort 

iQ^^''^^""'' }:^^'': '\^-^ *^ ^^^^«^s- I^^ the summer oi 
1846, five hundred Indians who had been gathered 
at Peru by the soldiers and placed forcibly on canal 
AX?? f ^f''^ brought through the city of Fort Wayne 
While the crowd remained here a most disgusting 
scene was enacted. Conscienceless men provided 
with a large quantity of whiskey, sold the stufl^ to 
the savages, and the last view of them as the boats 
departed for 'Cincinnati was one to shame the citi- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 29 

zens of a supposed enlightened community. The 
boats conveyed the Indians into the Miami and Erie 
canal, and then proceeded to Cincinnati, where 
steamers transported them to their new reservation. 
The almost complete disappearance of the once 
powerful Miami Nation is one of the pitiable inci- 
dents of American history. 

In 1814, General William Henry Harrison, writ- 
ing to the Secretary of State, said: "The Miamis 
are merely a poor, drunken set diminishing every 
year, becoming too lazj^ to hunt,, they feel the advan- 
tage of their annuity." 

During the period of the canal building the In- 
dians experienced little difficulty in securing whiskey 
in exchange for their government allowance of mon- 
ey. Between 1813 and 1830, fully five hundred 
deaths resulted among the Miamis from murders 
and accidents resulting from strong drink. 

It has been well said that some races of men seem 
molded in wax, soft and melting, at once plastic 
and feeble ; some, like metals, combine the greatest 
flexibility with the greatest strength ; but the Indian 
was hewn out of the i"Ock of which you cannot 
change the form without destroying. Races of in- 
ferior energy have possessed a power of expansion 
and assimilation to which he is a stranger, and it 
is this fixed and rigid quality which has proved his 
ruin. He will not learn the arts of civilization and 
he and his forest must perish together. The stern 
unchanging features of his mind excite our admira- 
tion from their very immutability, and we look with 
deep interest on the fate of this irreclaimable son 
of the wilderness, the child who will not be weaned 
from the breast of his rugged mother. And our 
interest increases when we discern in the unhappy 
wanderer, mingled among his vices, the germs of 
heroic virtues. A hand bountiful to bestow as it is 
rapacious to seize, and, even in extremest famine, 
imparting its last morsel to a fellow sufferer; a 
heart which is as strong in friendship as in hate 
thinks it not too much to lay down life for its chos- 
en comrade; a soul true to its own order of honor 



30 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

and burning with an unquenchable thirst for great- 
ness and renown. 

"They waste us ah! hke the April snow 

In the warm noon we shrink away 
And fast they follow as we go 
Toward the setting day 
'Till they shall fill the land and we 
Are driven into the western sea." 

— Bryant. 

No doubt the stoicism and lack of adaptability 
manifested by the Indian has been largely respon- 
sible for his slowness in adopting the progressive 
ways of the whites. And account for the fact that 
his descendants today number but about three hun- 
dred thousand (300,000) when they might have 
been counted by the million. 

Parkman represents the Jesuit missionaries in 
Canada two centuries ago as testifying that the 
Indian has a more acute instinct than the peasants 
m France. At his best, however, the Red Man was 
but the child of the forest, and in the presence of 
the Pale Faces, was not destined to survive. His 
was a doomed and passing race, meeting a fate it 
could not endure. One reason assigned for this, is 
that which was given by a very thoughtful Indian 
in a speech on a certain occasion long ago in the 
presence of a company of government agents on the 
Ix^ach at Mackinac Island. Said he very reflective- 
ly, "The White Man no sooner came than he thought 
of preparing the way for his posterity. The Red 
Man never thought of that." In this profound ob- 
servation is embodied one of the latest deductions in 
social pliilosophy. Of course in thus speaking of 
the Indians reference is had to manifestations of 
their mental character as seen in the early days, and 
not the Indian life and character at the present time. 



II. 

KE-KI-ON-GA. 

"THE GLORIOUS GATE." 

At the advent of the French in the latter part of 
the seventeenth century the Miami Confederacy 
was probably the most powerful in the region be- 
tween Lake Michigan and the Ohio river and kept 
in awe the crafty Iroquois below Lake Erie and 
Ontario on the east and the powerful Sioux of the 
upper Mississippi on the west. It is said that their 
chieftain at this time had a bodyguard of forty war- 
riors and could lead into battle an army of five 
thousand men. This powerful Confederacy com- 
prised the Piankeshaws, whose chief towns were 
located near the present site of Vincennes ; the 
Weas, whose seat was at Ouiatenon, near the pres- 
ent site of LaFayette, and the Miamis proper, whose 
capital was located near the junction of the St. 
Joseph and St. Marys where they unite to form 
the Maumee on the present site of Fort Wayne, 
Ind. This was easily recognized as a strategic 
point, as it was at the head of navigation of the 
^laumee, some ninety miles from JMaumee Bay and 
was readily reached by trails from the St. Joseph 
river of Lake IMichigan ; from the Wabash and the 
Great Miami and was on the natural water route 
from Detroit to the above points. At the Treaty 
of Greene Ville in 1795, Little Turtle spoke of this 
village as "That glorious gate through which all the 
good words of our chiefs had to pass from the north 
to the south and from east to the west." 

Kekionga is said to be a corruption of Kiskakon, 
the name of a tribal subdivision of the Ottawas, 
who had a village here before the Miamis. At that 
early date the Maumee was likewise known as the 
Ottawa river on account of its control by the tribe 
of that name. How long it had been a tribal seat 

31 



32 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

can only be conjectured, when we recall the state- 
ment of Meshikinnoqua at Greene Ville concerning 
certain lands along the Scioto and Miami which he 
clamied had been enjoyed by his forefathers "from 
tmie immemorial without molestation or dispute" 
At the advent of the White Man Kekionga was sur- 
rounded by gardens, orchards and extensive corn- 
«heids which were considered remarkable and indi- 
cated long occupancy. Tradition says that LaSalle 
visited this point with a company of some thirty 
companions, consisting of French soldiers, lieuten- 
ants and assistants and two Indian guides in the 
spring of 1679 or 1680. These men had been en- 
gaged m exploring probably a decade before arriv- 
ing-^at this point, having visited Indian settlements 
m Canada along the St. Lawrence and Ottawa riv- 
ers; m Michigan, on the shores of Lake Huron and 
ht. Clair and the Detroit river, besides points 
along the southwestern shore of Lake Erie. 

Big Horn is said to have been the Miami' chief 
at this time. It is probable that a trading post had 
been established here as early as 1719. Captain 
yiiicennes, the founder of Vincennes, Ind., is cred- 
ited with erecting a French fort about 1734, on the 
southern bank of the Maumee, a little below where 
the St. Mary and St. Joseph unite to form this 
stream. This post was probably built of large logs 
cut from the site and laid horizontally with log pick- 
ets some twenty-five feet long firmly set at the most 
exposed points. It was appropriatelv named Fort 
Miami, as it guarded the capital town of the Miamis 
located on the river of the same name. 

The early years of French occupation seem to 
have been a period of peace. In fact we hear but 
little concerning this post until near the close of 
the French and Indian War— perhaps in 1762— 
when it seems to have been abandoned and replaced 
by an English fort on the east side of the St. Jos- 
eph. This latter fort was probably built bv the 
French and taken over by the British about "^1760 
who placed Ensign Holmes in charge of it All 
went well until the spring of 1763, when Pontiac 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 33 

the Ottawa, formed a conspiracy to surprise and 
take the Enghsh outposts on the lower lakes and 
frontiers, including Fort Miami. The Miamis had 
been a pai'ty to the great conspiracy and openly de- 
nounced the English. Hence, we are not surprised 
to learn that the English commandant was marked 
for destruction. Through constraint an Indian 
maiden, for whom Holmes had found an attach- 
ment, and in whom he placed confidence, was sent 
into the post on May 27, with the request that he 
come out to assist with medical aid a squaw who 
was lying sick in a hut without the garrison. Fol- 
lowing the girl a few paces outside the enclosure 
he was treacherously shot down while approaching 
the wigwam in which the fictitious sick squaw lay. 
A sergeant, attracted by the shots, unguardedly 
stepped outside the fort to investigate the cause and 
was immediately seized and made a captive. Seeing 
the desperate situation the handful of defenders 
threw open the gates and surrendered. Fort Miami 
again passes into obscurity until the fall of 1780, 
when one Augustus de la Balme suddenly appeared 
with fift}^ or a hundred freebooters on their way to 
Detroit. From meager historical data it seems that 
LaBalnie was a Frenchman who came over with 
LaFayette in 1779, to fight in the Revolution. How- 
ever, we find him in the summer of 1780, in Kas- 
kaskia and Vincennes quietly enlisting a volunteer 
company of daring frontiersmen with the view of 
surprising Kekionga, and, if successful in this ven- 
ture, extending operations to Detroit, then in the 
hands of the British. The success of Clark in tak- 
ing Vincennes a few months previously, no doubt, 
lent inspiration to the adventure and made recruit- 
ing comparatively easy. Whether he was moved by 
patriotic impulse or bent on plunder seems to be a 
matter of conjecture. Following the valley of the 
Wabash by a quick and cautious march he passed 
Ouiatenon and appeared unexpectedly at Kekionga. 
The panic stricken inhabitants, including some six 
or eight French traders, fled without resistance, 
leaving LaBalme plunder the village at will. In a 



34 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



short time the freebooters had sacked the village 
and burned the buildings of Beaubien, LaFontaine 
and other traders together with some stores of food 
and supplies as they could not apply to their needs. 
After tarrying a day or so they proceeded westward 
a few miles and encamped on Aboit creek, a branch 
of the Wabash, awaiting reinforcements before ad- 
vancing to Detroit. It is said that one of LaBalme's 
objects was to seize Beaubien who was the general 
partisan of the Miamis. The French traders, how- 
ever, were greatly incensed by this unwarranted and 
dastardly raid and soon incited the Indians of the 




THE ABOITE BIVEE MASSACRE 

From an old print. Little Turtle's First Victory, 1780. 

neighborhood to retaliate. After ascertaining the 
number and equipment of LaBalme's forces the 
Miamis, under the leadership of the crafty Little 
Turtle, then probably under thirty years of age, 
surrounded the imperfectly guarded encampment 
and fell upon it in the night time and massacred 
the entire party with the exception of a man by the 
name of Rhys, who was captured and delivered to 
the British officers in Canada. The Indians, it 
seems, having learned that LaBalme's men were 
Frenchmen, were not disposed at first to avenge the 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 35 

attack, but the traders, Beaubien (who had married 
the widow of Chief Joseph Drouet de Richardville, 
the mother of the late Chief of the nation, Joseph B. 
Richardville) and LaFontaine (father of the late 
Miami Chief LaFontaine) , incited them to the deed. 
Here the sagacious mind of Little Turtle foreshad- 
owed his future greatness, as the morning foretells 
the day. 

It seems that Little Turtle's time was employed 
during the decade immediately following 1780, as a 
leader in various war expeditions against different 
parts of the frontier, especially Ohio river points 
and the outposts of Kentucky. In one of these ex- 
peditions he captured a boy about eleven years of 
age by the name of William Wells, whom he 
adopted. 

Kekionga again lapsed into comparative quietude 
while the great drama of conquest and expansion 
was being enacted by the American Colonies east of 
the Alleghenies. The close of the Revolution, in 
1783, gave an impetus to frontier activity as the eyes 
of prospective emigrants turned north of the Ohio, 
and attempts were soon made to realize the visions 
and ambition of the Ohio company and other organ- 
izations of prospectors formed before the war. 

The first permanent settlement of the Northwest 
Territory was made on the seventh of April, 1788, 
at Marietta, by General Rufus Putman, heading a 
company of forty-seven emigrants. 

Cincinnati was settled on December 28, 1788. 
The next year was famous in the history of western 
emigration, as no less than tw^enty thousand per- 
sons, men, women and children, passed the mouth 
of the Muskingum river during the season on their 
journey down the Ohio river. In a very short time 
a territorial government was established at Mari- 
etta, with General Arthur St. Clair as Governor. 

The Treaty of Paris in 1783, following the Amer- 
ican Revolutionary War, did not bring peace with 
the Indian tribes of the Northwest. The British 
meanwhile kept on good terms with the Indians, 
intrigued with them and encouraged them in their 



36 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



hostilities against the Americans, which continued 
with savage fury. Murderous incursions by the 
Miamis and Confederate tribes from the Maumee 
and western countries were frequently attended 
with savage cruelties. The government decided up- 
on immediate aggressive movements. To delay was 
only to encourage the Indians in their obstinancy. 




,1- 




GENERAL JOSIAH HAKMAR. 



and the British in their unscrupulous work of feed- 
ing, clothing and equipping the Indians for their 
depredations against the Americans. 

In the Indian War in the west the Miamis were 
the principal central power. Occuping with their 
confederates the valleys of the Wabash and the 
Miami of the Lakes they stretched like an impossi- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 37 

ble line between Lake Erie and the lower Ohio, and 
were a complete bar to the settlement of the west. 

The outrages, they in connection with the Shaw- 
nees and Delawares committed, and the threatening 
aspect they assumed led eventually to the various 
campaigns at separate periods of Generals Harmar, 
St. Clair and Wayne. 

The first army in this Indian War organized by 
the general government was placed under command 
of General Josiah Harmar, a soldier of the Revolu- 
tion. Arrangements having been completed he left 
Fort Washington September 30, 1790, with one 
thousand one hundred and fifty-three men, compris- 
ing three hundred and twenty regulars and one 
thousand one hundred, and thirty-three militia and 
drafted men. The entire force comprised three bat- 
talions of Kentucky militia under Majors Hall, Mc- 
Mullen and Ray, with Lieutenant-Colonel Trotter in 
command ; one battalion of Pennsylvania militia un- 
der Lieutenant-Colonel Traby and Major Paul ; one 
battalion of mounted riflemen commanded by Major 
James Fontaine together with two battalions of reg- 
ulars under Majors Wyllys and Doughty and a com- 
pan3^ of artillery with three brass pieces of ordnance 
commanded by Captain William Ferguson. 

After treaty upon treaty had been made and 
broken and the frontiers had been suffering through 
this whole period from the tomahawk and scalping 
knife, the new American government dispatched 
these regular troops, enlisted in New Jersey and 
Pennsylvania, and the force of drafted militia from 
Pennsylvania and Kentucky to the frontiers under 
General Harmar, with Col. John Hardin, of Ken- 
tucky, in charge of the militia. The army comprised 
many boys and infirm men, who had been sent as 
substitutes, and were unfit for the hard service be- 
fore them. On account of hasty assemblage they 
were also poorly equipped and drilled. The orders 
to General Harmar were to march on to the Lidian 
towns adjacent the lakes, and to inflict on them 
such signal chastisement as should protect the settle- 
ments from future depradations. 



38 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

The militia advanced up the Mill Creek valley on 
September 26th, and the main army followed on the 
30th, making seven miles, and encamping for the 
night on a branch of Mill Creek, course northeast. 
Eight miles more were made the second day on a 
general course of northwest, the army encamping 
on another branch of Mill Creek. On the third day 
a march of fifteen miles was made, the course being 
generally north and the encampment on the waters 
of Muddy Creek, a tributary of the Little Miami 
river. On the morning of October 3d, Colonel Har- 
din, with the militia were overtaken and passed; 
and, halting at Turtle creek one mile further on, 
the whole army encamped for the night. 

On the 4th of October the army reached and 
crossed the Little Miami on a northeast course, 
moving up it one mile to a branch called Sugar or 
Caesar's creek, near Waynesville, where they en- 
camped having accomplished nine miles that day. 
Next day a march of ten miles still on a northeast 
course brough the army to Glade creek, near the 
present site of Xenia, Ohio. On the 6th, it reached 
Chillicothe, an old Indian village, now Oldtown, and 
crossed the Little Miami again, keeping a northeast 
course, making nine miles that day. Next day the 
troops crossed Mad river, then called the Pickaway 
fork of the Great Miami, between the present sites 
of Dayton and Springfield, Ohio, and made nine 
miles ; their course for the first time becoming west 
of north. On the 8th, pursing a northwest course 
they crossed Honey creek, and made seven miles 
more. On the next day, they followed the same 
course marching ten miles, encamped within two 
miles of the Great Miami ; next day the army 
crossed that stream above the present site of Piqua, 
Ohio, keeping still a northwest course and made ten 
miles more. On the 11th, by a course west of north, 
it passed the ruins of a French trading station, 
marked on Hutchin's map as Twightwees (or Mi- 
amis) , and encamped there after making eleven 
miles. Next day the army kept a course most of 
northwest, near Loramie's creek and across the 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 39 

headwaters of the Auglaize. Here they found the 
remains of a considerable village, some of the houses 
being still standing; fourteen miles made this day. 
Following the old Indian and French portage to the 
St. Marys river (near St. Marys, Ohio), and on 
towards the Miami villages. On the 13th they 
marched ten miles, keeping west of northwest, and 
encamped, being joined by a reinforcement from 
Cincinnati with ammunition. Next day, the 14th, 
Colonel Hardin was detached with one company of 
regulars and six hundred militia in advance of the 
main body, being charged with the destruction of 
towns in the forks of the IMaumee. On the arrival 
of this advance party, they found the towns aban- 
doned by the Indians and the principal ones burnt. 

The main body marched on the 14th, ten miles, 
and on the 15th eight more; both days on a north- 
west course. Next day made nine miles, same 
course, and on the 17th, crossed the Maumee river 
to the Indian village ; formed a junction again with 
Hardin at the Miami village; this was the same 
tow^n burned and abandoned by the savages. On the 
day of Harmar's junction with Hardin two Indians 
were discovered by a scouting party as they were 
crossing a prairie. The scouts pursued them and 
shot one; the other making his escape. A j^oung 
man named Johnson, seeing that the Indian was not 
dead, attempted to shoot him again, but his pistol 
failing to fire, the Indian raised his rifle and shot 
Johnson through the body, which proved fatal. This 
night the Indian succeeded in driving through the 
lines between fifty and one hundred horses and bore 
them oflP to the mortification of the Avhites. This 
same day, ' October 17th, was employed in search- 
ing in the hazel thickets for hidden treasurers and 
much corn was found buried in the earth. 

On the evening of this day Captains McClure and 
McClary fell upon a strategem peculiar to back- 
w^oodsmen. They conveyed a horse a short distance 
down the river undiscovered, fetterd him, un- 
strapped the bell tongue, and concealed themselves, 
with their rifle. The Indian attracted by the 



40 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

sound of the bell, came cautiously up and began to 
untie him, when McClure shot him. The report of 
the gun alarmed the camp and brought many of 
the troops to the place. 

A young man taken prisoner at Loramie was 
brought to see the Indian just killed and pronounced 
him to be Captain Punk-great-man, Delaware Chief. 

The army burned all the houses and destroyed 
about twenty thousand bushels of corn, which they 
discovered in various places where it had been hid- 
den by the Indians, a large quantity having been 
found buried in holes dug for that purpose. In this 
destruction a variety of property belonging to 
French traders was included. 

The 18th was spent in a fruitless attempt to locate 
the Indians, On the 19th Colonel Hardin led a de- 
tachment of three hundred men, including a small 
number of regulars. They followed alofig an Indian 
trail to the northwest for about fifteen miles, or to 
within one mile of the present village of Churubusco, 
Indiana, and to within five miles of the Little Tur- 
tle's famous village. 

Through the neglect of Colonel Hardin to give 
command to move forward, Falkner's company was 
left in the rear, possibly a mile or more. The ab- 
sence of Falkner at the time became apparent. Ma- 
jor Fontaine, with a portion of the calvary, was at 
once sent in pursuit of him with the supposition 
that he was lost. At this time the report of a gun 
in front of the detachment fell upon the attentive 
ear of Captain Armstrong, in command of the regu- 
lars. When Armstrong informed Colonel Hardin 
that the fires of the Indians had been discerned, the 
latter believed that the Indians would not fight, and 
rode in front of the advancing columns. The de- 
tachment was soon fired on from ambuscade, both 
skillfully designed and vigorously executed by the 
skill and genius of the commanding Miami Chief, 
Little Turtle, at the head of not more than one 
hundred and fifty warriors. The Indians on this 
occasion gained a complete victory, having killed 
nearly one hundred men. The enemy pursued until 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 41 

Major Fontaine, who had been sent to hunt up Falk- 
ner and his company, returning with them com- 
pelled them to retire, and the survivors of the de- 
tachment arrived safe in camp. The real strength 
of the Indians was in a well chosen position and 
in the cowardice of the militia, who threw away 
their arms without even firing a shot. 

This destructive engagement was fought near the 
spot where the Goshen State Road now crosses Eel 
river, near or still beyond Hellers corner, about 
twelve or fifteen miles northwest of Fort Wayne. 
Captain Armstrong broke through the pursuing In- 
dians and plunged into the depth of the morass, 
where he remained to his chin all night m the mud 
and water, his head concealed by a tussock of high 
grass. Here he was compelled to listen to the noc- 
turnal orgies of the Indians dancing and yelling 
around the dead bodies of his brave soldiers. Event- 
ually the Indians retired and Armstrong, chilled to 
the last degree, extricated himself from the swamp, 
but found himself obliged to kindle a fire in a ravine 
into which he crawled, having his tender box, watch 
and compass still on his person. By the aid of the 
fire he recovered his feeling, and the use of his 
limbs and at last reached the camp in safety. For 
some years after the site of this sanguinary con- 
flict w^as settled by the whites, bayonets were picked 
up and bullets were cut out of the neighboring trees 
in such quantities as to attest the desperate charac- 
ter of this engagement. 

Little Turtle still recruited his Indian army, and 
slowly followed the trail to near Harmar's encamp- 
ment, which was still located at the old Miami vil- 
lage site at the head of the Maumee. 

On the evening of the 21st of October, at 10 
o'clock. General Harmar, without calling a council, 
left camp and started on his return to Fort Wash- 
ington. Little Turtle, who was immediately ap- 
praised of this fact, was in possession of the old 
Miami village early on the morning of the 22d. 

Colonel Hardin, surmising that the Indians had 
returned to the burned village, solicited General 



42 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



Harmar to let him return and inflict a more severe 
chastisement upon them. The request was granted, 
and Colonel Hardin, with Major Wyllys, was sent 
back with a detachment of four hundred men ; they 
too soon became entangled in the snares of the wily 
Little Turtle, who, on the point of land between the 
St. Joseph and the Maumee, inflicted another serious 
defeat to the American arms. 




HARMAR'S KATTIEFIEI.D 

October 22, 1790. 

Majors Hall and Fontaine, with a detachment of 
militia, were to pass around the village at the head 
of the Maumee, cross the St. Marys and the St. 
Joseph, gain the rear of the Indian encampment 
unobserved, and await an attack by the main body 
of the troops in front. 

Those consisting of Major McMullin's battalion 
and the regulars under Major Wyllys were to cross 
the Maumee at the usual ford and thus surround the 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 43 

savages. The game was spoiled by the imprudence 
of INIajor Hall, who fired prematurely upon a soli- 
tary Indian and alarmed the encampment. The 
startled Indians were instantly seen flying m differ- 
ent directions. The militia under Major Hall, and 
the cavalry under Fontaine, who had crossed the 
river, started in pursuit in disobedience of orders, 
leaving the regulars under Wyllys, who had also 
crossed the Maumee, unsupported. The latter was 
attacked by Little Turtle, and the main body of 
the Indians and driven back with great slaughter. 

Richardville, a half-blood about ten or twelve 
years of age, was in the battle, and in later life often 
asserted that he could have crossed the stream upon 
the bodies dryshod. This man succeeded Little Tur- 
tle as Chief, and died at Fort Wayne in 1840. 

The above statement is from Lossing's Field 
Book of the War 1812, who visited Fort Wayne in 

1860. , ^, . 

We also have another statement by this same 
Richardville, taken from "Brice's History of Fort 
Wayne." His recollection of the way the Indians 
stole along the bank of the river near the point long 
since known as Harmar's ford was most thrilling. 
Not a man among the Indians, said he, was to fire a 
gun until the warriors under Harmar had gained 
the stream and were about to cross. Then the red 
men in the bushes, with rifles leveled and ready for 
action just as the detachment of Harmar began to 
near the center of the Maumee, opened a sudden and 
deadly fire in the stream, until the river was literally 
strewn from bank to bank with the slain, one upon 
the other, both horses and men, and the M^ater ran 
red with blood. While this was going on at the ford. 
Majors Hall and Fontaine were skirmishing with 
parties of Indians a short distance up the St. 
Joseph. 

Fontaine, with a number of his followers, fell 
at the head of his mounted militia in making a 
charge. He was shot dead, and as he fell from his 
horse was immediately scalped. The remainder, 
with those under Hall and Fontaine, fell back in 



44 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

confusion towards the ford of the Maumee and 
followed the remnant of the regulars in their re- 
treat. 

Major George Adams, who afterward lived and 
died in Darke county, Ohio, was with the mounted 
militia under Major Fontaine at the time of his 
tragic death ; and when he found that his troops did 
not charge as a unit with him, he called out to 
Adams, "Stick to me, my brave fellow." 

Adams was wounded five times and carried on 
stretchers between two horses back to Fort Wash- 
ington and a grave was dug for him three suc- 
ceeding evenings, thinking it impossible for him 
to live -until morning. 

We have the above statement from the excellent 
paper by George Katzenberger on "Major Adams" 
published in the "Ohio Archaeological and Historical 
Society's Reports," Vol. 22, page 529. Also by John 
Wharry, "History of Darke Countv," published 
1880. 

The Indians, who suffered a heavy loss, did not 
pursue. General Harmar at about this time, it 
seems, had lost all confidence in the militia and de- 
cided to return to Fort Washington at once. A con- 
siderable number of the regulars of General Har- 
mar's army had followed Washington and other 
generals in the War of the Revolution. Harmar, 
in these engagements, lost near two hundred men. 

The slain of this little army were buried in the 
low bank near the ford of the Maumee on the 
present site of Fort Wayne, Ind. 

The father of Robert Gavin, now eighty years 
old, who lives on Harmar and Liberty streets. Fort 
Wayne, remembers the cut in the south bank of 
Maumee river where General Harmar descended 
to the Maumee ford. His father pointed out to him 
when a boy the identical spot, which can still be 
seen. His father cleared this bottom land and 
raised the first corn crop on it. The graves of Har- 
mar's slain were all sunken in and his father filled 
them up and leveled the ground so as to farm over 
them with convenience. Here the bones of General 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 45 

Harmar's heroes had lain until the coming of An- 
thony Wayne, when by his order, what could still be 
found, were collected and decently interred. 

The w^riter recently viewed the location ol Har- 
mar's ford, which lies at the foot of Harmar street. 
Fort Wayne. It shows no sign of blood and carnage 
today. General Harmar was forced to struggle 
homeward to Fort Washington as best he could, a 
greatly disappointed commander. It was indeed a 
dreary march. 




This is a recent photograph of the exacllocation of Harmar s Ford at llie 
foot of Harmar Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana Taiien August o,md A 
small section of the Maumee and t^e adjacent banlcs, three-fourth^ of a 
mile East of the Court House, marking the site of the slaughter of tlie 
™oops of Gereral Josiah Harmar, October 22, 1790, by the Miamis and 
Chief Little Turtle. 

General Harmar resigned his commission the fol- 
lowing January and was made Adjutant General of 
Pennsylvania in 1793, in which position he later 
rendered good service in furnishing troops for Gen- 
eral Wayne's army. He predicted defeat for Gen- 
eral St. Clair's army, which was being gathered with 
great labor in 1791 to operate along the Maumee 
river. This prediction of General Harmar before- 
the army set out on its fateful campaign was 



46 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

founded upon his own experience and positive 
knowledge of conditions. He saw with what ma- 
terial the army was being formed — men collected 
from the streets and prisons of the cities, hurried 
out into the enemy's country, and with their com- 
manding- officers totally unacquainted with the busi- 
ness in which they were engaged. Besides, not 
any one department was sufficiently prepared, both 
the contractors and quartermasters extremely de- 
ficient. It was utterly impossible, under these cir- 
cumstances, to accomplish the design of the new ex- 
pedition. 

It was a matter of astonishment to General Har- 
mar that the commanding general, St. Clair, who 
was acknowledged to be totally incompetent, should 
think of hazarding with such people and under such 
circumstances his reputation and life, and the lives 
or so many others, knowing, too, as both did, the 
enemy with whom he was going to contend — an 
enemy brought up from infancy to war, and perhaps 
superior to an equal number of the best men that 
could be taken against them. It is a truth that St. 
Clair had hopes that the noise and show which the 
army made on the march might deter the enemy 
from attempting a serious, general attack. 
_ General Harmar, after his retirement from office, 
lived in comparative obscurity for some years on 
the banks of the Schuykill and died about 1803. The 
funeral was conducted with great military pomp, his 
horse being draped in mourning and led in the pro- 
cession. His sword and pistols were laid upon his 
coffin, which was borne upon a bier, hearses not 
being in use in those days. 

"Oh, why does the white man follow my path 
Like the hound on the raccoon's track ? 
Does the flush on my dark cheek 'waken his wrath? 

Does he covet the bow on my back? 
He has rivers and seas where the billows and breeze 

Bear riches for him alone. 
And the sons of the wood never plunge in the flood 
Which the white man calls his own." 

Anonymous. 



III. 

ST. CLAIR'S EXPEDITION. 

Soon after Harmar's expedition the frontier set- 
tlements of western Pennsylvania and along the 
Ohio river were again attacked, and terror spread 
among the people south of the river. It is esti- 
mated that the population of the west at this time 
was between one hundred and fifty and two hundred 
thousand, scattered in groups — one in southwestern 
Pennsylvania, two in western Virginia, about 
Wheeling and the mouth of the Kenawha, and one 
in Kentucky below the Licking river. These set- 
tlers had poured in from the eastern states as well 




MA,T.-GEN. ARTHUB ST. CLAIR 

as from several European countries since the close 
of the Revolution, being attracted largely by the 
great fertility of the land and the exceptional busi- 
ness opportunities. For the most part, they had 
floated down the Ohio in crude flatboats, but many 
had come overland by Boone's celebrated wilderness 
road. To the hardships of their life in a new, ex- 
ceedingly rough country, were added the terrors 
of Indian attacks, inspired by killing, wounding and 
capturing of more than fifteen hundred men, women 
and children in Kentucky and vicinity since the 
peace of 1783. 

47 



48 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

Delegates from several of the exposed counties 
of Virginia petitioned the governor and the legis- 
lature of that State authorized him to make tem- 
porary provision for the protection of the frontier 
until the United States government should take 
proper steps in the same direction. Charles Scott, 
who had served in the Revolution, was appointed 
brigadier-general of the militia of Kentucky, then 
a part of Virginia, and was ordered to raise a vol- 
unteer force to co-operate with several companies 
of rangers from the western counties and proceed 
against the Wea villages on the Wabash (near 
Lafayette, Ind.). Scott chose two Revolutionary 
compatriots to accompany him on this raid. Colonel 
James Wilkinson being placed second in command 
and Colonel John Hardin in charge of the advance 
guard. The expedition was delayed until Ma^ 23, 
1791, awaiting the return of Proctor, but, hearing 
nothing from him by that time, Scott crossed the 
Ohio at the mouth of the Kentucky with some eight 
hundred mounted men and arrived at Ouiatenon 
(Lafayette, Ind.) June 1st. Here he found a vil- 
lage of some seventy houses, with a number of 
French inhabitants living in a state of civilization. 
The village was burned and a large quantity of corn 
and household goods destroyed. A detachment was 
sent on foot against Tippecanoe, the most important 
village, which was also destroyed. The army re- 
turned with several prisoners, reaching the Ohio in 
twelve days with the loss of only two men. 

On August 1, 1791, Colonel Wilkinson was sent 
against the Indians of the Eel river with a command 
of five hundred and twenty-five mounted men. He 
encountered much difficulty in his march from Fort 
Washington on account of the boggy land. Arriv- 
ing at the mouth of the Eel river, he attacked the 
village located there, killed a few Indians and cap- 
tured others. Proceeding to Tippecanoe and Ouia- 
tenon, the army destroyed the corn which had been 
planted since Scott's raid. The army reached the 
rapids of the Ohio on the 21st, having marched 
some four hundred and fifty miles. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 49 

Notwithstanding the loss suffered by the Indians, 
they became more angry than ever. All the north- 
western tribes made common cause with the ]\Iiamis 
and banded together in more open warfare, so that 
the settlers were in constant fear of the tomahawk 
and scalping knife. The effects of Harmar's cam- 
paign both exasperated and encouraged them, and 
the war whoop resounded through all the tribes. 
Those Indians who were disposed to be on friendly 
relations were overpowered by the impetuous flood of 
savage enthusiasm. All the settlements in the great 
valley in western Pennsylvania, western Virginia, 
Kentucky and Ohio were alike menaced. The emi- 
grants had much more to lose and much moie to 
dread than the Indians. The farm houses of the 
settlers were widely scattered. The burning of the 
frontier villages, with the scalping and torturing 
of men, women and children, was a horror which 
no language can exaggerate. To burn the wigwam 
of a savage was comparatively a light catastrophe. 
He had no household furniture. A few hours' labor 
would restore his hut. He was in no danger, either 
himself, his wife or his children, of being scalped 
or tortured. 

The perils to which the frontiers were exposed 
were terrible. In view of them the stoutest heart 
might quail. But often they found the settlers en- 
trenching themselves in fort after fort circumscrib- 
ing their range and cutting them entirely off from 
their favorite hunting grounds south of the Ohio. 
There can be no doubt that a determined hostility 
sprang up in the minds of the savages which all the 
exertions of the American government failed to 
allay and soon rendered it apparent that the two 
races could not live together in amity where it was 
the policy of one to reclaim the country from the 
hunter and of the other to keep it a wilderness. 

In view of the situation of the frontier, the most 
earnest petitions were sent to President Washing- 
ton to authorize the raising of a force sufiiciently 
powerful to protect effectually the frontiers. The 
President had in person witnessed all the horrors 



]f 



50 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

of savag-e warfare and knew well how to sympathize 
with those suffering pioneers. He promptly per- 
suaded Congress, in the session which terminated 
on the third day of March, 1791, to authorize him 
to raise a regiment of regulars and two thousand 
volunteers to serve for six months. Immediate and 
vigorous measures were adopted for a new cam- 
paign. In the spring of 1791 the President ap- 
pointed Governor St. Clair Major General and 
placed him in command of the army in place of 
General Harmar, who resigned on his return to 
Fort Washington. Colonel Richard Butler was pro- 
moted to the office of General and placed second in 




COL. RICHARD BUTLER 

PeiiDsylvaiiia 
Killed in Battle St. Clair's Defeat. 



command. The Quartermaster General, Mr. Samuel 
Hogdon, upon leaving Philadelphia, was furnished 
by Congress with twenty thousand dollars and later 
with an additional sum of seventeen thousand dol- 
lars for equipping the new army on the proposed 
expedition, (The fact that St. Clair had consider- 
able money with him when in the field is indicated 
by the testimony of one John Drawbaugh, who was 
with the army. Several years after the battle on 
the Wabash the grandfather of the author accom- 
panied this man to the site west of Lightsville, in 
northern Darke county, where a large sum of specie 
had been buried the day before the conflict. Ac- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 51 

cording to Drawbaugh's statement, he was one of 
four privates who accompanied an officer on the 
secret mission of burying the coin, and all of his 
companions were killed in battle the next day. — 
Calvin Young.) These sums were considered amply 
sufficient at that early date for the purpose desig- 
nated and seem to indicate that the fathers of the 
new republic had been schooled in economy and self- 
sacrifice. 

The organizers and leaders of the confederated 
Indian forces at this juncture were Little Turtle, 
who, with intelligence, craft and courage, en- 
deavored to rally the northwestern tribes, together 
with Blue Jacket, the great Chief of the Shawnees, 
and Buckongahelas, Chief of the Delawares. These 
savages were aided and abetted by the notorious 
renegades, Simon Girty, Matthew Elliot and Alex- 
ander McKee, whose council and experience were 
valuable assets to the untutored Indians in their 
attempt to drive the white settlers beyond the Ohio. 

Chief among these forest heroes whose exploits 
have made history illustrious was the daring Me- 
she-kin-no-quah. Gifted with the essential qualities 
which characterize the men accepted as leaders in 
civilized communities and nearly exempt from the 
eccentricities peculiar to his race, his many virtues 
shown with untarnished luster. Amidst the turmoil 
of the camp and the vengeful spirit of the times, 
these Chiefs, in connection with Simon Girty, 
Alexander McKee, Matthew Elliot and other rene- 
gades, headed a band of warriors whose discipline 
had probably never been equaled in Indian warfare. 
Nothing but a decisive blow bj^ a large and well 
organized force could quell the uprising being for- 
mulated by these leaders. The poet well descubes 
the situation at this time when he says : 

"They rise by stream and yellow shore, 
By meadow, moor and fen, 
By weedy rock and torrents' roar 
And lonesome forest glen. 



52 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

"From many a weedy, moss-grown mound 

Start forth a war-worn band, 
As when of old they caught the sound 
Of hostile arms and closed around 
To guard their native land." 

— Anonymous. 

The Indians, at the instigation of the British, 
contended for the Ohio river as the boundary line 
of the United States. To get control of the upper 
lakes and the valuable fur trade around them was a 
favorite scheme of the British statesmen. It was 
proposed by the British commissioners who nego- 
tiated the treaty of peace in 1814, as an indis- 
pensable requirement, that the Indians inhabiting 
that portion of the United States within the limits 
established by the treaty of 1783 should be included, 
as the allies of Great Britain, in the projected pacifi- 
cation, and that the boundaries be settled for Indian 
territory upon a basis which would have operated 
to surrender to a number of Indians, not to exceed 
a few thousand, the right of sovereignty as well as 
soil over nearly one-third of the territorial do- 
minion of the United States inhabited by more than 
one hundred thousand of its citizens. When the 
British left Fort George, at the foot of Broadway, 
New York, November 25, 1783, they left their flag 
flying. It was believed that the absence of British 
authority in the United States would be only tem- 
porary, hence the continuation of the Indian wars 
in the northwest at their behest. 

The final war of 1812 is justly termed the second 
war for American independence. This war gave 
to every true-born American an idea of absolute in- 
dependence from British thraldom. Hence, Elihu 
Slocum says truly, "The war of 1775-1783 be- 
tween the United Colonies and Great Britain was 
revolutionary; the war of 1812-1814 between the 
United States and Great Britain was the w^ar of 
independence." 

When, after many vexatious delays and disap- 
pointments, St. Clair's army commenced its march 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 53 

into the wilderness from Ludlow's Station on Sep- 
tember 17, 1791, the obstructions were so great that 
its progress was very slow. Twenty-four miles 
north of Fort Washington (Cincinnati, Ohio) they 
erected a strong blockhouse on the eastern bank 
of the Great Miami river, leaving a small garrison 
at this place. St. Clair named this post Fort Hamil- 
ton. Continuing slowly northward forty-four 
miles, the army arrived at a beautiful camp site 
and on October 12th, soon built Fort Jefferson. On 
the 24th another advance of six miles was made. 
Shortly after leaving Fort Jefferson, one of the 
militia regiments, with their usual disregard to 
discipline, determined that it was inexpedient to 
proceed farther, and, detaching themselves from the 
main body, returned rapidly to the fort on their way 
home. General St. Clair was daily expecting the 
arrival of provisions in a caravan of wagons. 
Apprehensive that the deserters might seize and 
plunder these wagons, he hastily detached quite a 
large force of the first regiment to pursue the de- 
serters and attack them, if necessary, and rescue 
and protect the wagons. These various operations 
so diminished his forces that his main army now 
consisted of but fourteen hundred men. His march 
became toilsome and difficult; the dreary month of 
November had come with its storms of wind and 
rain ; the route in a northwest direction led through 
a wet, marshy, inhospitable region covered with a 
dense forest. There was no road through these 
gloomy wilds; the axe had to be incessantly in use 
in felling the trees, often of gigantic size, and in 
removing stumps to open a passage for the baggage 
wagons and artillery. 

The heavily laden wheels often sank to their hubs. 
General St. Clair was aged, infirm, and was suffer- 
ing severely from the gout. It indicated a want of 
judgment in him under those circumstances to have 
undertaken the leadership in so arduous a campaign. 
And it cannot be denied that he was entirely out- 
generaled by the Indian Chiefs. 

On the third of November the army reached a 



54 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



point about one hundred miles north of Fort Wash- 
ington. They were still fifty miles from the Indian 
towns on the Maumee river which was their intend- 
ed destination. It was a dismal day, with chilling 
winds and the ground covered with snow. The 
weary and water-soaked soldiers had cut their way 
through an almost pathless forest and approached 
a creek about thirty-five feet wide, which proved 



SCALE 

160 r^RDS 

TO THE IMCH 




PLAN OF ST. CLAIE S CAMP AND BATTLE 

to be the headwaters of the Wabash river. There 
was a small, elevated meadow on the east banks of 
this stream, while a dense forest spread gloomily 
all around. Here General St. Clair took up his en- 
campment for the night. The militia encamped 
across the creek, a distance of about three hundred 
yards, intending to throw up some slight works on 
the morrow for the purpose of protecting their 
knapsacks and baggage. During the evening St. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 



55 



Clair discussed the plan of the proposed work with 
Major Ferguson of the engineers, expecting to move 
upon the Miami village as soon as the first regi- 
ment should rejoin them. The troops were en- 
camped in two lines with an interval of seventy- 
yards, which was all the nature of the ground would 
permit. The battalions of Majors Butler, Clark and 
Patterson composed the front line, which was under 
the orders of General Butler, an officer of high and 
merited reputation. The second line was composed 
of the battalions of Majors Gaither and Bedinger, 
and the second regiment under the command of Lieu- 
tenant Colonel Darke. The front and right flanks 




LIEUT. COL. WILLIAM DARKE 

A hero of St. Clair's defeat, after -whom 
Darke County, Ohio, was named. 

were protected by the creek, the left flank by a steep 
bank, Faulkner's corps and some infantry. Skilled 
iii the use of the axe, they speedily cut down trees 
and built roaring fires in the intervening space 
which illuminated the forest far and wide and en- 
abled both parties to cook their suppers and enjoy 
the genial warmth. Few scouts were sent out, for 
all were nearly perishing with cold and weariness, 
and there were no indications whatever that a' foe 
was at hand in any forceful number. But the cun- 



56 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



ning- Little Turtle and a large number of savages 
were in the forests nearby watching every move- 
ment and selecting their positions behind trees, 
from which, unseen and protected, the bullet could 
be sent with unerring aim upon their foe huddled 
together without any shelter. The night passed 
quietly away, but through its long hours the savages, 
unseen and with the silent tread of the panther, 
were making their preparations for the slaughter. 
It seems that Little Turtle was watching with an 
eagle's restless eye for another opportunity to strike 
the American army. The coming victory over St. 
Clair was clearly the result, not of overwhelming 
numbers, but of superior generalship. 




WAYNE STREET, FORT RECOVERY 

The principal site of St. Clair's engagement was along this street, a short 
distance north of this scene. The low place in the picture marks the site 
of the ravine which bounded St. Clair's camp on the sovith and afforded 
shelter for the Indians. 

Here on the banks of the Wabash, about daylight 
on the morning of the 4th of November, 1791, Little 
Turtle assailed St. Clair's army, in front, on both 
flanks and finally the rear. 

Early in the morning the militia on the opposite 
side of the creek were in thoughtless confusion pre- 
paring their breakfast when the yell of a thousand 
savages fell upon their ears, followed by the report 
of musketry and a deadly discharge of bullets, 
scarcely one of which missed its aim. The slaughter 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 57 

was SO dreadful that the panic-stricken mihtia fled 
instantly and with the utmost precipitation. Many 
or them did not stop to pick up their guns, but 
plunged pell mell through the creek, broke resist- 
lessly through the first line and stopped, a tumultu- 
ous, helpless mass, at the second. All this was the 
work of but a few minutes. And now the little 
army, huddled together in terror-stricken confusion, 
were exposed to a deadly fire from every direction, 
no foe being visible except when here and there a 
warrior darted from the protection of one tree to 
another. Colonel Darke was in command of the 
second line of regulars when the flight of the militia 
was arrested. He succeeded in forming his line and 




This iH a view of Fort Recovery at the present time, showing U a bush 

river and location of General St. Clair's artillery during 

tlie battle of November 4, 1791 

charged into the forest. The wary Indians in that 
portion of the circumference retired before him, 
while a storm of bullets from all around was rapidly 
striking down his men. As Darke again drew back 
to his position the Indians followed like the closing 
in of the waves of the sea. It seems a large party 
of Indian sharpshooters had been especially de- 
signed to attack the artillerymen.- In a short time 
every man at the guns had been shot down. Not 
an hour elapsed from the commencement of the con- 
flict before one-half of the men of St. Clair's army 
were either killed or wounded and most of the 
horses were shot. Our artillery being now silent, 



58 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

all of the officers killed except Captain Ford, who 
was badly wounded, more than half the army fallen, 
and, being cut off from the road, it became necessary 
to attempt the regaining it and to make a retreat, 
it possible. To this purpose the remnants of the 
army were formed as well as circumstances would 
admit towards the right of the encampment, from 
which, by the way of the second line, another charge 
was made upon the enemy, as if with the design to 
turn their right flank, but, in fact, to gain the road. 
This was affected and as soon as it was open the 
mihtia entered, followed by the troops. Major 
Clark with his battalion covered the retreat. Under 
these circumstances the remnant of the army Was 
hurled headlong down the trail southward for a 
distance of four or five miles with terrible slaughter 
by the victorious and triumphant Indian warriors 
No such defeat at the hands of the Red men had 
heretofore occurred in American history, not even 
that of General Braddock in 1775. Down'to the pres- 
ent time it has only been surpassed once, viz, the 
disastrous defeat of General Custer on the Big Horn 
June 25, 1876. 

The rout continued quite to Fort Jefferson 
twenty-nine miles. The action began about half 
an hour before sunrise and the retreat was at- 
tempted at half past nine o'clock. St. Clair's defeat 
was described by one Mr. Thomas Irwin, a wagoner 

^u u^I?^'' "^ ^ ^^^^^y ^^h^-J^ he kept at the time, 
ihe battle always reminded him of a furious 
thunder storm that comes up rapidly and soon dis- 
appears, leaving havoc and desolation in its path 
Ihis Mr. Irwm now has descendants in Greenville 
Ohio, one of whom assisted in the unveiling of the 
stone marker at the centennial of the signing of the 
Wayne treaty August 3, 1895. 

In this dreadful disaster the Indians killed over 
seven hundred of St. Clair's army, took seven pieces 
ot cannon two hundred oxen, a great number of 
horses and a few prisoners. Most of the wounded 
on the immediate battlefield were tomahawked and 
scalped. The Indians lost sixty-six warriors The 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 59 

loss to the Americans is said to have been greater 
than that of any battle of the Revolution, The 
morning of St. Clair's defeat the boom of cannon 
was heard by the i-eturning detachment thirty miles 
away. They were marching post haste to the relief 
of the army on the field of battle when they were 
met by the flying fugitives two or three miles north 
of the present city of Greenville, Ohio. 

Among those engaged in this disastrous battle 
was a gentleman from New Jersey, Captain Littell, 
with his step-son, Stephen. The Captain had been 
a man of war from his youth. He had been engaged 
in thirteen skirmishes with the Indians and had 
gained much reputation in the battles at Brandy- 
wine and Germantown. Having been unfortunate 
in business, he had turned his attention to the new 
lands in the west. His son, who had accompanied 
him, had just attained his majority. The Captain, 
thinking that as a member of St. Clair's expedition 
lit would have a fine opportunity of exploring the 
country, applied for a commission. Being too late 
in his application, both he and his son enlisted in 
the ranks. He entertained. the supposition, which, 
unfortunately, was very general, that there would 
be no fighting. It was thought that the Indians, 
appalled by the approach of so formidable a force, 
would not only make no resistance, but would throw 
down their arms and be for peace. The company 
to which Littell and his son attached themselves 
was composed mainly of young men from New 
Jersey, most of whom had come out for the purpose 
of viewing the country. This company was esteemed 
one of the best military corps. It was stationed in 
the advance upon the other side of the creek where 
the savages commenced their onset. Captain Littell, 
being hotly engaged in the fight, was not aware of 
the order to retreat until the enemy was all around 
him. With the gleaming tomahawks of the savages 
almost over his head, he sprang forward to cross 
the stream. As he leaped down the precipitous 
bank he stumbled and fell into a hollow of mud and 
water and thus escaped the shower of bullets 



60 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

whisking all around him. The pursuing- Indians, 
supposing him to be shot dead and that they could 
return at their pleasure for his scalp, rushed by for 
other victims. Fortunately, the Captain was some- 
what screened from observation by the rank grass 
and dense underbrush which fringed the stream. 
His boots were filled with water, thus rendering 
rapid flight impossible. As he was emptving his 
boots and making preparations for escape he was 
discovered by a solitary Indian, who, supposing him 
to be helplessly ' wounded, rushed incautiously 
toward him to take his scalp. He stumbled over 
some slight impediment and Captain Littell, spring- 
ing up, plunged his sword to the hilt in his bosom. 
The savage dropped dead into the water. The Cap- 
tain then fled into the forest. After two days of 
solitary wandering and much suff'ering he reached 
Fort Jefl^erson in safety. 

The escape of his son, Stephen, was still more re- 
markable. At the commencement of the battle he 
was at the extreme advance. Being unable to keep 
up with his comrades in their precipitated flight, he 
sprang aside and hid in a dense thicket. The yelling 
savages rushed by in their hot pursuit. The Indians 
were thus soon between him and the rest of the 
troops. Here he remained for some time in dread- 
ful suspense as the roar of the battle died away in 
the distance, the Indians being in full chase of the 
flying army. He then ventured slowly forward until 
he reached the scene of the night's encampment. 
Awful was the scene presented to him there. The 
bodies of the seven or eight hundred killed and 
wounded encumbered the ground. It was a cold 
frosty mopiing. The scalped heads presented a 
very revolting spectacle, a peculiar vapor ascended 
from them all. Many of these poor creatures were 
still ahve. Groans assembled from all sides. Sev- 
eral of the wounded, knowing that as soon as the 
savages returned they would be doomed to death by 
torture, implored young Littell to put an end to their 
misery. This he refused to do. Seeing among the 
dead, one who bore a strong resemblance to his 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 61 

father he was in the act of turning- over the body 
to examine the features when the exultant and ter- 
rific shouts of the returning- savages fell upon his 
ear, and already he could see through the forests the 
plumed warriors rushing back. It so chanced that 
an evergreen tree of very dense foliage had been 
felled near where he stood. It was his only possible 
escape. He sprang into the tree and turned its 
branches as well as he could around him. Scarcely 
had he done this than the savages came bounding 
upon the ground like so many demons. Im- 
mediately they commenced their fiend-like acts of 
torture upon all the wounded. One of their principal 
amusements was to bind a captive to a tree and see 
how near his head they could throw their toma- 
hawks without killing- him. If the cruel weapon 
chanced to strike the cheek or the brow, bringing 
forth the gushing blood, it only brought forth the 
shouts of merriment, giving additional zest to the 
game. One of their tomahawks thus thrown came 
so near the tree where Stephen was concealed that 
he could have stooped forward and picked it up. As 
the savage sprang to get it, Littell felt sure that his 
keen eye was fixed upon him and he had doubted not 
that his dreadful doom was sealed. The Indian, 
fortunately, did not see him, but caught up the mur- 
derous weapon and sank it to the hilt in the brain 
of the victim he was torturing. 

The scenes he continued to witness were more 
awful than the imagination could possibly conceive. 
Here our subject remained until a suitable time ar- 
rived for him to make his escape, which he did, the 
only one left to tell the sad story of the awful battle- 
field. 

Incredible as it may seem, it is stated that there 
were two hundred and fifty women among the camp 
followers in this campaign. This can only be ac- 
counted for upon the supposition that they, with the 
rest of the community, imagined there w^ould be no 
fighting, that a treaty of friendship would be made 
with the Indians, and that garrisons would be estab- 
lished under whose protection they, with their hus- 



62 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

bands, might find new homes. Fifty-six of them 
were killed and they were tortured, if possible, even 
more fiendishly than the men. Some accounts say: 
"That two hundred of these women fell victims to 
savage barbarity." 

One woman was running with her babe, but one 
year old, in her arms, and, in utter exhaustion, as 
she was about to fall by the wayside she threw her 
wailing child into the snow. The Indians picked 
up the babe, spared its life and took it to Sandusky, 
where it was brought up as one of the tribe. There 
was a tall woman with streaming red hair known 
as Red Headed Nance, who kept in advance of all 
the fugitives and eventually reached Fort Washing- 
ton (Cincinnati, Ohio), where she lived until a ripe 
old age. Years afterward she would tell of the great 
difficulty she had in saving her scalp at the time of 
St. Clair's defeat. 

The bodies of some of those women were found 
on the battlefield with stakes driven through them; 
some of the soldiers were found with their mouths 
filled with earth, signifying that they were land 
hungry. All were treated alike with the most 
shocking barbarity. 

In justice to General Arthur St. Clair, the com- 
manding officer of the army, on November 4, 1791, 
it must be said that a committee appointed by the 
House of Representatives to inqujre into the cause 
of the disaster which reported after the most patient 
and careful inspection that the defeat was due 
chiefly to the gross and various mismanagement of 
others and should in no wise be imputed to the com- 
mander-in-chief. 

With his dismissal from office as governor of the 
western territory November 22, 1802, the public life 
of General St. Clair terminated. Broken in health 
and fortune, he now returned, at the age of sixty- 
eight, after a life spent largely in the service of his 
adopted country, to the Ligonier valley in western 
Pennsylvania. He had never been reimbursed by 
the government for the private means spent by him 
during the War of the Revolution. General St. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 63 

Clair, at the critical period in the finance of the 
Continental Congress, mortgaged his entire manorial 
estate of eight thousand acres and loaned the money 
to the government to purchase arms and equipment 
for the continental army. This loan was never re- 
paid. In addition to this, during the Indian cam- 
paign of 1791 he had again advanced his personal 
credit to the public service and the officers of the 
government, for more or less technical reasons, now 
and thereafter turned a deaf ear to his appeals for 
reimbursement or succor. He struggled earnestly 
from year to year to retrieve his broken fortune, 
but when the years of the embargo came and values 
of all American property suff"ered such terrible de- 
preciation he was compelled to stand by and see the 
last of his property, real and personal, sold by the 
sheriff, and himself left out, nearly eighty years of 
age, absolutely penniless, dependent upon the charity 
of his family and friends. 

In referring to this execution, St. Clair himself 
\rrote : "They left me a few books of my classical 
library, and the bust of John Paul Jones which he 
sent me from Europe, for which I was very grate- 
ful." One of his sons built him a log cabin on a 
small piece of ground on Chestnut Ridge, five miles 
west of Ligonier. Here he lived in honorable pov- 
erty until August 31, 1818, when he died from the 
effects of an injury sustained in being thrown from 
a wagon while driving to town. 

His neglect by the government in his old age was 
a disgrace to the nation, especially in view of the 
lavish sums bestowed on Lafayette and other Revo- 
lutionary soldiers. Such treatment could not now 
occur. Thus the hero of two wars and of countless 
deeds of faithfulness, bravery and self-denial in 
times of peace was quietly interred in the little 
burying ground of the neighborhood hamlet of 
Greensburg, Pennsylvania. 

By a strange and sad coincidence. General Clark, 
conquerer of the great northwest, and General St. 
Clair, were both permitted to die in poverty, neglect 



64 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

and obscurity. Both met a similar fate at about 
the same age and in the same year. 

The language of the epitaph upon the simple 
stone which was afterwards erected at the grave 
of St. Clair by his Masonic brethren has often been 
quoted and should still carry its earnest appeal to 
men of our time. It is as follows: "The earthly 
remains of Major-General St. Clair are deposited be- 
neath this humble monument, which is erected to 
supply the place of a nobler one due from his coun- 
try." 

He was a descendant of the Earl of Orkney Isles, 
afterward of Caithness and Roslyn. He was born 
in Scotland in 1734, was educated at the University 
of Edinburgh. His name always suggests a striking 
example of the ingratitude of men and republics. 

Blanchard, in his "History and Conquest of the 
Northwest Territory," says: "Marietta was by 
far the most congenial place for the residence of his 
family. Accordingly, suitable apartments were 
fitted up for his family to reside in Campus Martins. 
In Louisa, his oldest daughter, were united the 
western heroine with the refinements of Philadel- 
phia, where she was educated. In the winter of 
1790 she was seen skating on the Muskingum river, 
in which exercise few of the young officers could 
equal her in activity. During successive years she 
often rode through the adjacent forests on horse- 
back with her rifle, undaunted by the dangers of 
Indian ambuscades. Her skill in the use of this 
weapon was sometimes turned to a good account in 
the wild game with which she furnished her father's 
table, shot by the bullet under the fatal aim of her 
blue eye." 

Hildreth, the pioneer historian, in his rapturous 
praises of her surpassing beauty and grace, in his 
imagination, substitutes a bow and arrow for her 
rifle and sees her flying through the wooded heather, 
mounted on her high mettled steed, like Diana, the 
daughter of Jupiter and goddess of hunting. 

In this gifted lady was represented the type of 
Americans, the transcendant images of civilization 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 65 

before which all bow with loyalty and devotion. 
Should this power supplant the barbarism of the 
forest and make it teem with joy and beauty, multi- 
plied with years, or should the inherent rights of 
the Indian be respected and the country which he 
owned be held sacred to the chase and occupied only 
by the tenants of the wigwams ? 

It was nearly a year before the general govern- 
ment made another attempt for the conquest of the 
northwestern tribes, who, it seems, had so far been 
invincible in spite of all the efforts brought to bear 
upon them. 

Immediately following the resignation of General 
St. Clair and during this period of time Brigadier- 
General Wilkinson was the temporary commander 
at Fort Washington, whose duty it was to furnish 
provisions and supplies to the outlying garrisons of 
Forts Hamilton, St. Clair and Jefferson. 

Fort St. Clair was erected in the tempestuous 
months of the winter of 1791-2. It was started 
December 15, 1791, and completed January 26, 1792. 
General Wilkinson sent IMajor John S. Gano, be- 
longing- to the militia of the territory with a party 
to build the fort. William Henry Harrison, then 
but an ensign, commanded a guard over others for 
about three weeks during the erection of the fort. 
They had neither fire nor covering of any kind and 
suffered much from the winter's cold. It was a 
stockade of the usual kind, about three hundred feet 
square, and had about twenty acres cleared around 
it. The outline can yet be traced in the contour of 
the field surface. It was designed to be the midway 
fortification between Fort Hamilton on the south 
and Fort Jefferson on the north, some forty-four 
miles apart. These forts, Washington, Hamilton, 
St. Clair and Jefferson, were about twenty-five miles 
apart and connected by road or trace cut through 
the dense timber and undergrowth by the soldiers 
of St. Clair's army. 

In the autumn of 1792 Little Turtle, the cele- 
bi-ated Miami Chief, at the head of about two hun- 
dred and fifty Mingo and Wyandot warriors, started 



66 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

out to attack a new settlement of the whites then 
forming at the mouth of the Little Miami river 
(then called Columbia, Ohio). When passing near 
Port Hamilton the Indians attacked some of the 
garrison working in the timber and captured two 
of them, from whom they learned that a company 
of from fifty to one hundred mounted Kentucky 
riflemen, escorting a brigade of pack horses and 
under command of Major John Adair, were on their 
way to Fort Jeff"erson and would pass on the return 
trip at a certain time. Accordingly, thej' lay in 
ambush along the trail. The escort, however, 
rested at Fort Jeff'erson over Sunday and did not 
appear as soon as expected. Hearing when the 
Kentuckians had advanced as far as Fort St. Clair, 
the Indians planned a surprise and attacked them 
before daylight on the 6th of November, 1792. 
Major Adair was suddenly and violently attacked 
by a large party of Indians, who rushed on the en- 
campment with great fury. A bloody conflict en- 
sued, during which Major Adair ordered Lieutenant 
Madison with a small party to gain the right flank 
of the enemy, if possible, and at the same time gave 
an order for Lieutenant Hall to attack their left, 
but, learning that that officer had been slain, the 
Major, with about twenty-five of his men, made the 
attack in person, with a view of sustaining Lieu- 
tenant ]\Iadison. The pressure of this movement 
caused the enemy to retire. They were driven 
about six hundred yards through and beyond the 
American camp, where they made a stand and again 
fought desperately. At this juncture about sixty 
of the Indians made an effort ib turn the right 
flank of the whites. Major Adair, foreseeing the 
consequence of this maneuver, found it necessary 
to order a retreat. That movement was effected 
with regularity and, as was expected, the Indians 
pursued them to their camp, where a halt was made 
and another severe battle was fought, in which the 
Indians suffered severely and were driven from the 
ground. In this affair six of the whites were killed. 
Lieutenant Job Hadle, Sergeant Matthew English, 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 67 

Privates Robert Bowling, Joseph Clinton, Isaac Jett 
and John Williams. Among the wounded were Lieu- 
tenant George Madison (afterwards governor) and 
Colonel Richard Taylor, the father of Major-General 
Taylor, who commanded the United States army in 
the Mexican War and later President of the United 
States. , 

During the campaign of 1813 Major Adair accom- 
panied Governor Shelby into Canada as an aid, and 
was present in that capacity at the battle of the 
Thames. He was elected Governor of Kentucky in 
1820. A county in Kentucky was also named in 
grateful remembrance of General John Adair. 

As above mentioned, on this occasion the Indians 
, were commanded by Chief Little Turtle. 

It so happened some years afterward, in 1805-6, 
when General Adair was registrar of the land ofhce 
in Frankfort, Captain William Wells, Indian agent, 
passed through that place on his way to Washington 
City, attended by some Indians, among whom was 
Chief Little Turtle. General Adair called on his 
old antagonist, and in the course of the conversation, 
tlie incident above related being alluded to. General 
Adair attributed his defeat to his having been taken 
in surprise. Then Little Turtle immediately re- 
marked with great pleasantness, "A good General 
is never taken by surprise." 



68 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 




MAJOR GENEEAL ANTHONY WAYNE 



IV. 

WAYNE'S CAMPAIGN. 

The next commander-in-chief of the American 
army to appear upon the arena of western warfare 
was General Anthony Wayne, who arrived at Fort 
Washington (Cincinnati, Ohio) in April, 1793, with 
a well organized army of some twenty-six hundred 
troops. 

During the course of the summer Wayne became 




FORT QREENVILLE 



r»tH ; 20 TKops. 



OUTLINE FORT GREENKVILLE, 1793 



convinced that the northwest tribes would not ac- 
cept reasonable terms of peace and consequently 
broke camp at Fort Vv^ashington the 7th of October, 
marching northwest with twenty-six hundred regu- 
lars, thirty-six guides and spies and three hundred 
and sixty mounted militia. 

The 13th of October found Wayne encamped six 
miles north of Fort Jefferson and about eighty miles 

69 



70 LITTLE turtle; the great chief 

noi'th of Fort Washington, on a beautiful high plain 
on the south bank of the southwest branch of Still- 
water, a tributary of the Great Miami. This was 
the same spot where St. Clair had encamped two 
years previously while awaiting the arrival of sup- 
plies. Accordingly, a large fortification was here 
constructed overlooking the extensive prairie tv^ ,he 
southwest with the creek in front, which, with the 
fort, were both named Greene Ville, in honor of Gen- 
eral Nathaniel Greene, a fellow officer of Wayne in 
the Revolution. This fort covered some fifty acres 
and was fortified to resist any attack that the sav- 
ages and their allies might make against it. The 
soldiers were quartered in commodious huts, each 
sheltering six men, and extensive provisions were 
made for the convenience and comfort of the entire 
army. Storehouses, artificer's shops, mess rooms, 
officers' headquarters and a magazine were also 
erected at suitable places. 

Thus October 13, 1793, will ever be remembered 
as the day in which a fort in the western wilderness 
and later a beautiful city received its name. 

On October 17th, just four days after Wayne's 
arrival at Greene Ville, Little Turtle made a dash on 
a baggage and provision train on the trail some 
five miles north of Fort St. Clair (now Eaton, Ohio) . 
The convoys, consisting of about ninety men, were 
under the command of Lieutenant Lowery and En- 
sign Boyd and were loaded with supplies and pro- 
visions for the army. In the aff'ray which fol- 
lowed, Lowery and Boyd and thirteen non-commis- 
sioned officers and privates were killed and seventy 
packhorses were killed or driven away. This inci- 
dent shows plainly that Little Turtle was by no 
means idle, but was constantly hanging on the out- 
skirts of Wayne's army, ever ready to strike a blow 
if the opportunity should present itself. 

Not long after this two white men who had been 
prisoners in the Miami villages escaped and re- 
ported that the Indian warriors made all manner 
of fun in describing the manner in which General 
St. Clair posted his troops. They even got up a 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 71 

sham fight in representation of it for the amusement 
of the squaws, and with great roars of laughter 
they re-enacted the scene, calHng it St. Clair's fight 
and dance. They said they intended annually to 
celebrate this victory by a similar contemptuous 
festival. 

But war is a very uncertain game and the brag- 
gadocie is very apt eventually to be humbled. 

Not long after this the Indians had their turn 
in dancing as they were pierced by the bullets of 
the white man under General Wayne and they found 
something more serious to attend to than engaging 
in mock fights. 

Among the considerations which now operated on 
the mind of President Washington at this trying- 
period of our national history, which we are com- 
pelled to consider for a moment, was the poverty 
of the nation loaded with debt and without much 
commerce. The people of the east looked upon this 
western war as a burden which the western people 
ought to bear. Hence a tax was placed on distil- 
leries, owned mostly in the west, which grew out 
of the expenses on this Indian war. This tax led 
directly to the whiskey insurrection in western Penn- 
sylvania. And it need not be disguised that the op- 
position to the present constitution laid hold of 
everything within their reach to render General 
Washington unpopular. They pretended to fear so 
large a standing army of five thousand four hun- 
dred men. They saw, too, with alarm, Mr. Wash- 
ington's levies and the pomp of Colonel Pickerine-, 
General Knox and other heads of departments with 
salaries of three thousand dollars a year, though the 
compensation was so small that they and their fami- 
lies could not live decently on it. The French Revo- 
lution, too, was raging, and Genet was busily engaged 
in his endeavors to draw us into the vortex of Euro- 
pean politics. General Washington was beset on all 
sides with French agents and partisans on the At- 
lantic border were fomenting discontent. The Brit- 
ish and their Indians were desolating our frontier 



72 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

and, as Atwater truly tells us, "Waked the babe 
from the sleep of the cradle." 

It was early in this year, we believe, that Presi- 
dent Washington, after appointing General Wayne 
and other officers to command the western army 
and doing all that he had the power to do, made a 
tour to the Indians of western New York in com- 
pany with Colonel Pickering. Colonel Pickering 
tarried one night at the house of Caleb Atwater's 
father, while General Washington put up at a near 
neighbor's, a Mr. Bloom. 

General Washington and Colonel Pickering vis- 
ited all the New York Indians, held councils with 
them and delivered talks and speeches to them, some 
01 which Atwater says he saw among these Indians 
in 1828 while he was on a visit to his old friends 
still living in the Indian village. This visit was 
made by General Washington to conciliate those 
savages and to prevent their joining in the war 
with the British Indians, as they had done all along 
before this period. Many New York Indians were 
present at St. Clair's defeat and some of them still 
went off and fought against General Wayne in 1794, 
when they were defeated and mostly killed on the 
Maumee river. 

In the summer of 1793 Wayne tried to treat with 
the Indians. Fort Massac was built under him to 
prevent an expedition against New Orleans, which 
Genet was planning. General Wayne sent out in 
succession Colonel Hardin and Major Trueman with 
a flag of truce, medals, talks and presents to the 
Indians in order to make a peace with them. These 
messengers of peace were killed in succession as 
soon as they arrived among the savages. Their 
medals and speeches sent by them and all they had 
vrith them were taken by the Indians, who slew the 
bearers of them. 

Atwater saw these medals and speeches in the 
possession of the elder Carray, Maumee principal 
Chief of the Winnebagoes, at Prairie du Chien in 
July, 1829. The medal was a large one of copper, 
six inches in diameter and purported, no doubt, truly 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 73 

to have been made at the expense of a gentleman in 
Philadelphia, and by him sent as a token of Presi- 
dent Washington's friendship to the Indians. Every 
other effort was made by General Wayne that sum- 
mer to bring about a peace with the savages, but 
all in vain. But, notwithstanding all the efforts to 
make a peace, yet nothing was omitted that could be 
done to prepare a vigorous war against them. 
Although General Wayne promptly accepted his 
appointment and entered on its arduous duties, yet 
it was found no easy matter to fill up the minor 
appointments, even the very next in grade to the 
commander-in-chief of this army. Several were 
appointed to these offices who refused to accept 
them. It was found difficult, too, to enlist soldiers 
for this hazardous service. Everything moved along 
slowly and the season was spent in doing very little 
to any good effect. 

Ihe British commander of the fort at Detroit had 
erected a fort at the head of the ]Maumee Bay for 
the purpose, it would seem, of protecting the Indians 
in alliance with him. Here the Indians resorted 
for protection. Here they sold their furs, belts and 
skins, received their annuities, and we doubt not 
that they received here also the price paid for the 
scalps of our murdered countrymen. 

General Wayne was not idle, but urged forward 
all his measures vigorously, prudently, and, in the 
end, effectually. On the 5th of November, 1793, 
Congress met at Philadelphia, to whom the Presi- 
dent said in his speech at the commencement of the 
session, "That the reiterated attempts which had 
been made to effect a pacification with the Indians 
had issued only in new and outrageous proofs of 
preserving hostility on the part of the tribes with 
whom we were at war." 

He alluded to the destruction of Hardin and True • 
man while on peaceful missions under the sanction 
of flags of truce, and their families were recom- 
mended to the attention of Congress. 

Notwithstanding all these efforts of General 
Washington in favor of the bleeding frontier, 



74 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



Congress and the nation were too much engaged 
with other objects to bestow attention on this dis- 
tant war. 

The spring and summer of 1793, having been 
employed by General Wayne in endeavoring to make 
peace and in preparing for war, so that it was Sep- 
tember before he was really to move forward into 




OU" 



L-IN/E MAP OF DAKKE COUNTY, O. 
■Scale- ort^ tir\cK Y^ Live m i I e s . 



Dra.rvr\ By Ti M Horn. 

Showing Forts GreeneVille and Jefferson 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 75 

the heart of the Indian country. General Wayne 
collected his army and marched six miles north of 
Fort Jefferson, where he established a camp and 
fortified it and called it Greene Ville, as before 
stated in these pages. 

During the winter Wayne sent a detachment to 
the site of St. Clair's defeat, twenty-three miles 
north of Fort Greene Ville, and built Fort Recovery. 
Six hundred skulls were gathered up and buried, 
and they scraped the bones together and carried 
them out to make their beds. This post was garri- 
soned and placed in command of Captain Gibson. 

President Washington had given General Wayne 
very minute instructions respecting the campaign. 
He suggested the order of march, the way to guard 
against surprises, the mode of forming speedily in 
order of battle in the thick woods. The camp at 
night was always to be in the form of a hollow 
square protected by a breastwork of fallen timber 
or of earth. The cavalry and baggage were to be 
within the square. The troops were to be kept 
under the highest possible state of discipline and 
to be especially exercised in loading and firing 
rapidly and accurately. Particularly they were to 
be taught to load while running. The General was 
entreated not to spare powder or lead in giving the 
troops skill in these practices so essential in Indian 
warfare. 

The Indians had carefully watched the proceed- 
ings of the troops in erecting Fort Recovery on the 
ground rendered memorable by the defeat of St. 
Clair, They resolved to make a desperate eflfort to 
destroy the small garrison left in guard there and 
to gain the fort for themselves. On the 30th of 
June, 1794, a large force, consisting of several hun- 
dred Indians, with several companies of Canadians 
with blackened faces and in Indian costume, led by 
British oflicers in full dress and the Chief Little 
Turtle, who led the Miamis, made a furious attack 
upon the fort. Major McMahon was just on the 
route with supplies for the garrison from Fort 
Greene Ville and had not yet entered it when the at- 



76 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

tack commenced. This convoy consisted of about 
one hundred and fifty men. Mr. Burnet, in his 
notes, gives the following account of this important 
conflict : 

He" says, "'A very severe and bloody battle was 
fought under the walls of Fort Recovery between 
a detachment of American troops consisting of 
ninety riflemen and fifty dragoons, commanded by 
Major McMahon, and a very numerous body of 
Indians and British, who, at the same instant, 
rushed on the attachment and assailed the fort on 
every side with fury. They were repulsed with a 
heavy loss, but again rallied and renewed the attack, 
keeping up a heavy and constant fire during the 
whole day, which was returned with spirit and effect 
by the garrison. The succeeding night was foggy 
and dark and gave the Indians an opportunity of 
carrying off their dead by torch light, which oc- 
casionally drew a fire from the garrison. They, 
however, succeeded so well that there were but eight 
or ten bodies left on the ground which were too 
near the garrison to be approached. On the next 
morning, McMahon's detachment having entered the 
fort, the enemy renewed the attack and continued 
it with great desperation during the day, but were 
ultimately compelled to retreat from the same field 
on which they had been proudly victorious on the 
4th of November 1791. The expectation of the as- 
sailants must have been to surprise the post and 
carry it by storm, for they could not possibly have 
received intelligence of the movements of the escorts 
under Major McMahon, which only marched from 
Greene Ville on the morning preceding and on the 
same evening deposited in Fort Recovery the sup- 
plies it had conveyed. That occurence, therefore, 
could not have led to the movements of the savages. 
Judging from the extent of their encampment and 
their line of march, consisting in several different 
columns forming a wide and extended fi'ont, and 
from other circumstances, it was believed that their 
numbers could not have been less than from fifteen 
hundred to two thousand warriors. It was also 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 77 

believed that they were in want of provisions, as 
they had killed and eaten a number of pack horses 
in their encampment the evening- after their assault, 
and also at their encampment on their return, seven 
miles from Fort Recovery; where they remained two 
nights, having been much encumbered with their 
dead and wounded." 

From the official report of Major Mills, Adjutant- 
General of the army, it appears that twenty-two offi- 
cers and non-commissioned officers were killed and 
thirty wounded. Among the former was Major 
McMahon and among the latter Lieutenant Darke. 

Captain Gibson, who commanded the fort, be- 
haved with great gallantry and received the thanks 
or the commander-in-chief, as did every officer and 
soldier of the garrison and the escort who were 
engaged in that most gallant and successful defense. 

Immediately after the enemy had retreated it was 
ascertained that their loss had been very heavy, but 
the full extent of it was not known until it was 
disclosed at the Treaty of Greene Ville. References 
were made to that battle by several of the Chiefs 
in council, from which it was manifest that they 
had not even then ceased to mourn the distressing 
losses sustained on that occasion. Having made the 
attack with a determination to carry the fort or 
perish in the attempt, they exposed their persons in 
an unusual degree, and, of course, a large number 
of the bravest of the Chiefs and warriors perished 
before they abandoned the enterprise. From the 
facts afterwards communicated, it was satisfac- 
torily ascertained that there were a considerable 
number of British soldiers and Detroit militia en- 
gaged with the savages on that occasion. 

A few days previous to that affair the General 
had sent out three small parties of friendly Chicka- 
saw and Choctaw Indians to take prisoners for the 
purpose of obtaining information. One of these 
parties returned to Greene Ville and reported that 
they had fallen in with a large body of Indians at 
Girtytown (St. Marys, Ohio), near the crossing of 
the St. Marys river, on the evening of the 27th of 



78 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

June. They were apparently bending their course 
towards Chillicothe on the Miami. There were a 
great many white men with them. The other two 
parties followed the trail of the hostile Indians and 
were in sight when the assault on the post com- 
m.enced. They affirm, one and all, that there were 
a large number of armed white men with painted 
faces whom they frequently heard conversing in 
English and encouraging the Indians to persevere, 
and that there were also three British officers 
dressed in scarlet who appeared to be men of dis- 
tinction from the great attention and respect which 
were paid them. These persons kept at a distance 
in the rear of the assailants. Another strong cor- 
roborating proof that there were British soldiers 
and militia in the assault is that a number of ounce 
balls and buck shot were found lodging in the 
blockhouses and stockades of the fort and that others 
were picked up on the ground which had been fired 
from such a distance as not to have momentum 
sufficient to enter the logs. It was supposed that 
the British who were engaged in the attack expected 
to find the artillery that was lost on the fatal 4th 
of November which had been hidden in the ground 
and covered with logs by the Indians in the vicinity 
of the battlefield. This inference was supported by 
the fact that during the conflict they were seen 
turning over the logs and examining different places 
in the neighborhood as if searching for something. 
There were many reasons for believing that they 
depended on that artillery to aid in the reduction 
of the fort. But fortunately most of it had 
previously been found by its legitimate owners and 
was then employed in its defense. It will be re- 
membered that St. Clair, after his awful defeat, was 
compelled to abandon his artillery. General Wayne 
succeeded in recovering all those pieces except one, 
which could not be found and which was accidentally 
discovered nearly forty years afterward by some 
boys who were hunting rabbits on the site where it 
had been concealed. It eventually passed into the 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 79 

hands of an artillery company in Cincinnati, Ohio, 
who may probably still retain it. 

The Indians were very adroit in their strategems 
and the utmost caution was requisite in a conflict 
with them. Captain Shaylor was in command of 
the little garrison at Fort Jefferson immediately 
after this Indian retreat from their signal defeat 
at Fort Recovery. As no Indians were around and 
it would take some time to reorganize new war par- 
ties, all the garrisons felt much at their ease. Cap- 
tain Shaylor, as the Indians well knew, was very 
fond of hunting. One pleasant summer morning the 
Captain heard the gobble of a flock of turkeys in 
the woods at a little distance from the fort. Call- 
ing his son, they eagerly sallied forth to shoot some 
game for dinner. They fell into an ambuscade. 
His son fell, mortally wounded. The gobble of the 
turkeys was but a decoy of Indians. The Captain 
turned and fled to the garrison. The Indians, with 
loud yells, pursued, hoping either to capture him 
or to enter the gates at his heels. They were, how- 
ever, disappointed. He rushed in through with an 
arrow quivering in his back and the gates were im- 
mediately closed after him. 

General Wayne, as before noted, left Greene Ville 
July 28, 1794. We have two diflferent accounts as 
to the direction which he pursued in leaving Greene 
Ville. One is from the pen of Judge Wharry in his 
pioneer notes on Darke county nearly fifty years 
ago. He was a lifelong citizen of Greenville and 
among its first surveyors. He says, ''Wayne moved 
northeast from Fort Greene Ville and camped on 
Stillwater river the first night, in the vicinity of 
Beamsville. Leaving still a strong garrison at Fort 
Greene Ville, took up his line of march with care, 
circumspection and no undue haste to the north- 
ward, taking the route toward Loramie and St. 
Marys. The second night after leaving, his forces 
were encamped in the southeastern part of what 
is now Patterson township. Here it is said that 
about midnight an Indian spy crawled into Wayne's 
camp and approached a tent in which a dim light 



80 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

was burning and here discovered General Wayne 
seated by a stand looking over notes and papers. 
He immediately returned to the Indian encamp- 
ment on Swamp creek, two or three miles off, which 
was still in council, and made the report that the 
White Chief never sleeps. 

It has been said that this was the time and place 
which Little Turtle suggested for a night attack 
on General Wayne, but was opposed by nearly all 
of the other Chiefs in council. And perhaps the 
most favorable opportunity was thus permitted to 
pass by. 

The other statement in regard to the route from 
which Wayne emerged from Fort Greene Ville in 
his northward campaign is from the pen of Lieu- 
tenant Boyer, who was with the army. In his Jour- 
nal he says, "The army marched twelve miles on 
July 28th on the St. Clair trail and encamped on the 
Stillwater," and that "the second night they en- 
camped one mile beyond Fort Recovery." We here 
leave the reader to decide for himself which of these 
routes is correct. However, the next place that we 
hear of Wayne is at Girtiestown, or the St. Marys, 
where he stopped two days for the building of Fort 
Adams on the bank of that stream. 

Slocum, in his "History of the Ohio Country," 
page 109, says, "It was necessary to make a road 
through the great forests composed of great trees 
of oak, beech and maple which were larger and 
more numerous as the army advanced, and that 
the deep Beaver swamp had to be bridged with 
infinite labor. In this building of Fort Adams, 
General Wayne was caught under a falling tree 
while urging more haste upon the choppers of logs 
for the blockhouses and palisades. This accident 
nearly put an end to his existence, but his indomit- 
able will power forced him and his army forward 
without delay and against all obstacles." 

On August 8, 1794, the army arrived at its camp. 
Grand Auglaize (junction of the Auglaize river with 
the Maumee, site of the present city of Defiance, 
Ohio) , at half past ten o'clock in the morning. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 81 

Here Wayne and his army were delighted with the 
beauty and fertility of the region. Here were all 
kinds of vegetables in abundance, four or five miles 
of corn fields and at least a thousand acres of corn 
around the town. Here was the confluence of three 
rivers, the Auglaize, Tiflin and Maumee. It was 
naturally a great gathering place for the various 
tribes. It seems that the preceding evening the 
towns and villages had been abandoned in much 
haste, as marks of apparent surprise and precipita- 
tion convinced everybody that the approach of the 
legion was not discovered until a few hours before 
its arrival, when the fact was communicated by 
Newman, who had deserted from the army at St. 
Marys. It was manifest that the defection of that 
villain enabled the Indians to save their persons 
by a rapid flight, leaving all of their property to 
fall into the hands of federal forces. Here as well 
as elsewhere along the rivers, the British had en- 
couraged the women of the savages to cultivate 
corn and vegetables to relieve as much as possible 
the demands of the savages on the British food 
supplies. Here Wayne congratulated himself upon 
his success in gaining possession of the Grand Em- 
porium of the hostile Indians of the west without 
the loss of blood. The first duty of the General, 
after taking possession of the country, was to erect 
a strong stockade fort with four blockhouses by 
way of bastions at the confluence of the rivers, 
\\hich he named Fort Defiance. 

The army remained at the mouth of the Auglaize 
river about one week. It had been ascertained by 
the most recent intelligence that the enemy were 
collected in great force and that they had been 
joined by the Detroit militia and a portion of the 
regular army and that they had selected for the 
contest an elevated plain above the foot of the 
I'apids on the left bank of the river over which a 
tornado had recently passed and covered the ground 
with fallen timber, bj' which it was rendered un- 
favorable for the action of the cavalry. 

This information, unpleasant as it was, did not 



82 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

excite any serious apprehension, or in the least de- 
gree cool the spirit and ardor of the troops. On the 
contrary, among the officers and privates, both of the 
legion and mounted volunteers, there was but one as- 
piration heard and that was to meet the enemy. 

Captain William Wells, the sagacious and intrepid 
warrior of the woods led his party within so short a 
distance of the British works as to ascertain that the 
Indians were encamped under their protection. He 
took one or two prisoners and made a bold though 
unsuccessful attempt on a camp of warriors in the 
night, in which he was wounded. Soon after his re- 
turn the army moved slowly and cautiously down the 
left bank of the Maumee river. 

On the loth of August, true to the spirit of peace 
advised by Washington, General Wayne sent Chris- 
tian Miller, who had been naturalized, among the 
Shawnees as a special messenger to offer terms of 
friendship. Impatient of delay he moved forward 
and on the 16th met Miller on his return with the 
message that if the Americans would wait ten days 
at Grand Glaize (Fort Defiance) they, the Indians, 
would decide for peace or war. 

It seems that at this council, in reply to Miller on 
the proposition of peace or war, Little Turtle earn- 
estly counseled peace. In a brief but energetic 
speech he said : 

"We have beaten the enemy twice under separate 
Commanders. We cannot expect the same good for- 
tune always to attend us. The Americans are now 
led by a Chief who never sleeps ; the night and the 
day are alike to him and during all the time that he 
has been marching upon our village notwithstanding 
the watchfulness of our young men we have never 
been able to surprise him. Think well of it. There 
ic= something whispers to me, it would be prudent to 
listen to his offers of peace". 

Blue Jacket was in favor of battle, but Little 
Turtle, who plainly foresaw the final trend of events 
by this time, was in favor of making peace. 

Being reproached for cowardice which was for- 
eign to his nature, he laid aside resentment and took 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 83 

part in the battle on the morrow. The result of the 
battle proved his sag'acity and wisdom. 

Miller stated that the Indians were all dressed and 
painted for war, that war parties were continually 
coming- in and were received with great enthusiasm, 
and it was his opinion that the message was merely 
a ruse by which the Indians hoped to gain a little 
more time to muster their forces. 

At six o'clock on the morning of the 20th of Au- 
gust, General Wayne advanced from Fort Deposit 
and took a position a few miles farther down the 
river on a long ridge called Presque Isle, and about 
eight o'clock on the morning of the 20th moved for- 
ward to attack the Indians, who were encamped at 
the fallen timbers. 

The British post had been occupied by a garrison 
sent from Detroit the previous spring. There could 
be no misapprehension of the motives which led 
to this occupation, taking place as it did eleven years 
after the country had been ceded to the United 
States, and at a time too when the angry and pro- 
tracted negotiations of several years relating to it 
was supposed to be about terminating in an open 
rupture. The Indians were all decidedly in favor 
of the British. With the jealousy natural to weak- 
ness, they were always prone to array themselves 
against the power which most directly pressed upon 
their destinies and most likely to affect them injur- 
iously. The British were fully aware of this feeling 
which their agents were zealously active to excite 
and foster. They saw in it the means of crippling a 
young rival who was stretching out into the west 
with giant strides, trampling down the forest and 
introducing Christianity and civilization. The coun- 
try had been ceded by a treaty still in force, but new 
negotiations were then in progress under the in- 
fluence of several disastrous defeats and as the In- 
dians demanded an independent dominion over the 
country in dispute the British government might ex- 
pect that a surrender so desirable to them would at 
last be granted. A proposition of a similar char- 
acter was made by the same government towards the 



84 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

close of the second war with Great Britain, The 
entire independence of the Indians, occupying a wide 
belt on our northwestern frontiers, was formally and 
seriously demanded as one of the conditions of peace. 
As long as the formidable coalition of tribes which 
General Wayne found in arms should continue united 
and hostile it was evident that the British preten- 
tions and hopes would remain. It was, therefore, of 
great importance with General Wayne and with his 
country that his present steps should be taken with 
the utmost prudence. 

A new defeat like that which had terminated al- 
m^ost every previous campaign commencing with the 
colonial period about the middle of the eighteenth 
century would have proved not only destructive to 
his army so far advanced in the wilderness, but prob- 
ably decided the British to openly espouse the 
cause of the Indians. 

General Wayne, in the present case, could feel no 
assurance that this cause would not be sustained by 
such co-operation as the fort and garrison could 
afford. Indeed, the positions of the Indians under 
the walls of the fort rendered it probable that such 
a course had been determined on. General Wayne 
had about three thousand men under his command, 
and the Indians are computed to have been equally 
numerous. This is not improbable as the hostile 
league embraced the whole northwestern frontier. 
As he approached the position of the enemy, he sent 
forward a battalion of mounted riflemen, which was 
ordered, in case of attack, to make a retreat in 
feigned confusion in order to draw the Indians on 
more disadvantageous ground. As was anticipated, 
this advance soon met the enemy and being fireu on 
fell back and was warmly pursued towards the main 
body. The morning was rainy and the drums could 
not communicate the concerted signals with sufficient 
distinctness. A plan of turning the right flank of the 
Indians was not therefore fulfilled, but the victory 
was complete. The whole Indian line, after a severe 
contest, giving w^ay and flying in disorder. About 
one hundred savages were killed. This horde of 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 85 

savages, with their alHes, abandoned themselves to 
flight and dispersed with terror and dismay, leaving 
our victorious army in full and quiet possession of 
the field of battle, which terminated under the in- 
fluence of the guns of the British garrison. 

During the action, and subsequently while General 
Wayne remained in the vicinity of the British, there 
did not appear to be any intercourse between the 
garrison and the savages. 

The gates were kept shut against them, and their 
rout and slaughter were witnessed from the walls 
with apparent unconcern and without off'ering any 
interposition or assistance. 

After the battle General Wayne devastated all of 
the fields and burned all of the dwellings around the 
fort; some of them immediately under the walls. 
The house of Colonel McKee, an Indian trader, who 
was supposed to have exercised great influence over 
the Indians, was reduced to ashes in the general con- 
flagration. 

"It is too important to omit, says Mr. Mann Butler 
in his "History of Kentucky", "That General Wayne 
had positive authority from President Washington 
to attack and demolish the British fort of Miami"; 
but on reconnoitering it closely and discovering its 
strength, added to his own weakness in artillery, the 
General with a prudence not always accorded him, 
most judiciously declined an attack. In this daring 
reconnoiter the General was near falling a victim to 
his gallantry. He had rode within eighty yards of 
the fort, accompanied with his Lieutenant William 
H. Harrison, and within point blank shot of his 
guns, when a considerable disturbance was per- 
ceived on the platform of the parapet. The intelli- 
gence of a deserter the next day explained the whole 
aff"air. It appeared that a Captain of marines, who 
happened to be in the garrison when General Wayne 
made his approach resented it so highly that he im- 
mediately seized a port fire and was going to apply 
it to the gun. At this moment IMajor Campbell drew 
his sword and threatened to cut the Captain down in- 
stantly if he did not desist. He then ordered him ar- 



86 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

rested. This high minded forbearance in all proba- 
bility saved the life of General Wayne with his suite 
and possibly the peace of the United States. 

Wayne in his report says, "The Americans 
remained three days and nights on the banks of the 
Maumee in front of the field of battle, during which 
time all the houses and cornfields were consumed 
and destroyed for a considerable distance, both above 
and below Fort Miami, as well as within pistol shot 
of that garrison, M^ho were compelled to remain 
tacit." 

Spectators to this general devastation and con- 
flagration among which were the houses, stores and 
property of Colonel McKee, the British Indian agent, 
and principle stimulator of the war now existing be- 
tween the United States and the savages. 

Major William Campbell, of the British 24th Regi- 
ment, who was commanding officer of Fort Miami, 
early addressed a note to General Wayne protesting 
against his near approach to a post belonging to his 
Majesty, the King of Great Britain, occupied by his 
Majesty's troops, declaring that he knew of no war 
existing between Great Britain and America. This 
gave occasion for two sharp letters from General 
Wayne, ordering the Major to get out of American 
territory with his command, Wayne, knowing of 
course, that an officer must obey only orders of his 
commanding officer, but he chafed under this re- 
straint and reported to the Secretary of War regard- 
ing Major Campbell's third courtions, but firm letter 
that, the only notice taken of this letter was by im- 
mediately setting fire to and destroying everything 
within view of the fort, and even under the muzzles 
of his guns. Had Mr. Campbell carried his threats 
into execution, it is more than probable, that he 
would have experienced a storm. 

After the victory of fallen timbers, by General 
Wayne, the army returned to Fort Defiance on the 
27th, having laid waste two villages and cornfields 
on both sides of the Maumee, for at least fifty miles. 
September the 14th the legion moved on to the 
Miami villages, where the long contemplated fort 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 



87 



was constructed, and on October 22d. 1704, (exactly 
four years after Harmar's defeat) placed under com- 
mand of Lieutenant Colonel Hamtramck, who after 
firing fifteen rounds of cannon, gave the name which 
the city now bears of Fort Wayne. Colonel Ham- 
tramck was a small Canadian Frenchman, who had 
been many years in the American service and always 
having proved himself patriotic, capable and meri- 
torious had been advanced accordingly. The In- 
dians were utterly disheartened by their great de- 
feat and considered themselves verv dishonorablv 




FORT WAYNE, INDIANA. AS IT APPEARED IN 1701 



treated by the British officers, who had spurred 
them on in the battle and then had abandoned them 
and were eager for peace. 

This campaign accomplished its intended object. 
The Indians were thoroughly humbled and subdued, 
their houses were destroyed, their country ravaged, 
their supplies consumed. 

It was the special object of General Wayne to in- 
flict such terrible chastisement upon the Indians as 
to compel them to bury the tomahawk and not to 
dare take it up again. He, therefore, sent out his 
cavalry and made utterly waste the whole valley of 



88 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

the Maumee for a distance of fifty miles. The wo- 
men and children fled with terror to the woods. 
Every village was laid in ashes, orchards were cut 
down, the harvests, corn, potatoes and other veget- 
ables with which the rich fields luxuriantly abound- 
ed, were destroyed. Nothing was left. Cold winter 
was approaching and the homeless families, men, 
women and children, were doomed to hopeless desti- 
tution, misery and death. No imagination can prob- 
ably exaggerate the woes which ensued. Such is war. 

"War," exclaimed Napoleon in anguish, as he wit- 
nessed its horrors, ''Is the science of barbarians." 

"War," says General Sherman, "Is cruelty, you 
cannot refine it." 

They no longer cherished any hope of being able 
to check the advance of the white man. In this state 
of extreme suffering, they were anxious for such 
terms as the conquerer might dictate. 

On the 28th of October, having achieved the ob- 
jects of the campaign. General Wayne started on his 
return with the main body of his regulars for Fort 
Greene Ville, where in the following year, himself 
and Little Turtle, rendered themselves as conspic- 
uous in statesmanship and diplomacy as in war, by 
a treaty, which immortalized both one for the white 
man and the other for the red man. 

Little Turtle was one of the greatest Indian Chiefs 
of all time, as a warrior, statesman, diplomat and 
orator, he even excelled Tecumseh, whose ambition, 
like that of Napoleon, ruined him forever. 

The remark made by LaSalle, two hundred years 
ago, "That the Miamis were the most civilized of 
all Indian Nations, neat of dress, splendid of bear- 
ing, haughty of manner, holding all other tribes as 
inferiors." 

Of all the Indian tribes of America the Miamis 
approached nearest to the ideal of an American abor- 
igine than all others. Little Turtle, in the final cli- 
max, as he alone stood amidst the downfall of his 
race, the greatest in war and the greatest in peace. 



V. 

LIGHTING THE COUNCIL FIRE. 

Early in January, 1795, movements were made for 
the assembling of a general Council of the Indian 
tribes of the Old Northwest, for the purpose of form- 
ulating a treaty of peace and friendship between 
said tribes and the victorious Americans. The ren- 
dezvous was to be at Wayne's headquarters, which 



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BOULDER MEMORIAL 

With Bronze Tablet, placed bj' the GreeneVille Historical Society, 
August 3, 19U6 



had been established at Fort Greene Ville since the 
fall of 1793. Here in this frontier army post with 
its substantial log buildings, its shops, warehouses 
and commodious Council house enclosed by a for- 
midable rampart of pickets, the Indian Chiefs and 

89 



90 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

warriors were assured of a cordial welcome with 
guaranty of safe conduct while on the way. To the 
savage mind this well built fort with its strong de- 
tachment of hardened and disciplined troops, its 
large supplies of provisions and its roads leading to 
other posts in the chain of American wilderness de- 
fences stood as the embodiment of Civilization and 
organized government. It was easy for the savage 
mind to look from this place to the source of power 
in the East, to which it was directly linked, and to 
read the handwriting on the wall of destiny. Wayne 
exercised shrewd diplomacy in inviting the tribes 
to this post and expressed desire that the Great 
Spirit would incline their hearts and words to peace. 

After the battle on the Maumee Little Turtle earn- 
estly desired peace and used his influence to get his 
people to attend the proposed Council at Greene 
Ville. His earlier victories over the poorly organized 
troops of LaBalm, Harmar and St. Clair, had not 
blinded him to the fact of the growing power and 
prestige of the Whites and the precarious position 
of the scattered tribes. Fully realizing that his 
power was broken he now urged the Indians to make 
peace with the "Chief Who Never Sleeps", and, 
although he stoutly contended for the claims of his 
nation and reluctantly signed the articles of peace he 
remained faithful and passive, and continued to 
counsel peace with his tribesmen to the end of his 
career. 

Wayne anticipated a large response on the part of 
the aborigines and early made preparation for their 
coming by laying in large supplies of clothing, food, 
and other articles suitable for presents, as he knew 
the fondness of the Savage mind for such things. 

Early in June, 1795, the Indians began to collect 
at Greene Ville, apparently without concerted action, 
and gave notice as they arrived that they had come 
to negotiate peace. On the 16th, a number of Dela- 
wares, Ottawas, Pottawattomies, and Eel River 
Chiefs having arrived, Wayne caused them to be 
assembled and met them in general Council for the 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 91 

first time. After each had received and puffed the 
pipe of peace the American General said: 

"1 have cleared the ground of all brush and rub- 
bish, and opened roads to the east, to the west, to the 
north, and to the south, that all nations may come 
in safety and ease to meet me. The ground on which 
the Council House stands is unstained with blood and 
is as pure as the heart of General Washington, the 
Great Chief of America, and of his great Council, as 
pure as my heart, which wishes for nothing so much 
as peace and brotherly love. I have this day kindled 
the Council fire of the United States; we will now 
cover it up and keep it alive until the remainder of 
the different tribes assemble, and form a full meet- 
ing and representation. I now deliver to each tribe 
present a string of white wampum to serve as record 
of the friendship that is this day commenced be- 
tween us. 

"The heavens are high, the woods are open, we 
will rest in peace. In the meantime, we will have a 
little refreshments to wash the dust from our 
throats. We will on this happy occasion be merry, 
but without passing the bounds of temperance and 
sobriety. We will now cover up the Council fire and 
keep it alive until the remainder of the different 
tribes assemble and form a full meeting and repre- 
sentation." 

The next day New Corn, one of the old Chiefs of 
the Pottawattomies, with several warriors arrived. 
He said that they had come from Lake Michigan, 
and that after the treaty was over they would ex- 
change their old medals for those of General Wash- 
ington. They wanted peace. 

Buckonghelas, with a party of Delawares, came 
soon afterward, and also Asimethe, with another 
party of Pottawattomies, who were received at the 
Council House. 

The Delaware King told Wayne, that his fore- 
fathers used soft cloth to dry up their tears, but 
that they used wampum, and hoped that its influ- 
ence would do away with all past misfortune. 

The Pottawattomie Chief said, that they were 



92 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

all there, all the remainder being dead. As a proof 
of their good wishes they had brought Wayne the 
only two prisoners, who were in their possessions. 

General Wayne welcomed them to Greene Ville, 
told them that the great Council fire had been kind- 
led and the pipe of peace had been smoked. Also 
that when the Wyandots from Sandusky and De- 
troit, and the tribes in that quarter would arrive, 
fresh fuel would be added to the fire and business 
would be postponed until then. In the meantime he 
would give them something which would make their 
hearts glad and also distribute some wampum. 

The celebrated Little Turtle, Chief of the Miamis, 
arrived on the 23d of June, with a full retinue of 
seventy-three Miami and Eel River Indians, together 
with twelve Weas and Piankishaws and ten Kicka- 
poos and Kaskaskias. A total of ninety-five. 

On the 25th of June General Wayne told them the 
arrangements he had made for their comfort during 
the Council. The exterior redoubts were given up 
to accomodate the difi'erent nations with Council 
Houses. He desired them to retire to their quarters 
like his own men, at the firing of the evening gun. 
If any of his foolish young men were found troubling 
their quarters, he wished the Indians to tie them and 
send them to him to be dealt with according to the 
circumstances. 

He humored the Indians by telling them, that 
General Washington and his great Council had sent 
them large presents, which he soon expected, and 
their friends the Quakers had also sent them mes- 
sages and small presents. 

Bad Bird, a Chippewa Chief, thought that M^as all 
right and very good. Little Turtle made a short 
speech on the SOth of June to the Chippewas, and 
said that when brothers meet they always exper- 
ience pleasure, and as it was a little cool, he hoped 
that they would get some drink and that they ex- 
pected to be treated as warriors. He wanted some 
fire water and would like to have some mutton and 
pork occasionally. 

New Corn was most happy to be in accord with 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 93 

the sentiments of Little Turtle, but their hearts were 
sorry and it grieved them to have seen the graves 
of their brothers, who fell at Fort Recovery, a few 
months previous. 

The Sun, Chief of the Pottawattomies, complained 
of the allowance of food. He said that they ate in 
the morning and became hungry at night; the days 
were long, and they had nothing to do ; they became 
weary and wished for home. 

Frequent arrivals of large numbers continued. 
On the 3d of July, all were called together, and the 
General gave them their first, lesson in American 
patriotism. He explained to them why all the States 
of the American union celebrated the 4th of July 
each year, adding : "Tomorrow we shall for the 
twentieth time salute the return of this happy anni- 
versary, rendered still more dear by the brotherly 
union of the Americans and Red people. Tomorrow 
all the people within these lines will rejoice, you, my 
brothers, shall also rejoice in your respective en- 
campments. I call you together to explain these 
matters to you, do not, therefore, be alarmed at the 
report of our big guns, they will do you no harm, 
they will be the harbingers of peace and gladness, 
and their roar will ascend into the heavens. The 
flag of the United States and the colors of this Le- 
gion shall be given to the wind to be fanned by its 
gentlest breeze in honor of the birthday of Ameri- 
can freedom. 

"I will now show you our colors that you may 
know them tomorrow. Formerly, they were dis- 
played as ensigns of war and battle, now they will 
be exhibited as emblems of peace and happiness. 

"This eagle which you now see, holds close his 
bunch of arrows, whilst he seems to stretch forth as 
a more valuable offering the inestimable branch of 
peace. The Great Spirit seems disposed to incline 
us all to repose for the future under its grateful 
shade and wiselv enjov the blessings which attend 
it." 

The twentieth anniversary of the signing of the 
Declaration of Independence was celebrated at Fort 



94 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

Greene Ville in an elaborate and appropriate man- 
ner. The spirit of '76 was still surging in the veins 
of all patriotic Americans and it is not surprising 
that Wayne and many of his associates, who had 
served during the trying days- of the Revolution, 
should make the occasion one long to be remembered, 
by both the Indians and his own soldiers. The fir- 
ing of the ready salute — probably of fifteen guns — 
the raising of flags, the martial music and the fiery 
oration all tended to heighten the eff'ect of the cele- 
bration. Fortunately we have record of two notable 
features of that day's program — one a poem written 
and recited by an oflicer, the other, an oration, deliv- 
ered by a Baptist missionary. The poem was com- 
posed by Dr. Joseph Strong, a youthful soldier and 
surgeon, and was kept in the possession of his son, 
William Y. Strong, esq., of Chillicothe, Ohio, who, it 
seems had it published in the first volume of the 
American Pioneer in later years. We take pleasure 
in reproducing the poem herewith : 

"In leagues of love we now unite 
Around the bank of peaceful light 

And hail the joy clad day. 
No more shall ruthless foes pervade 
The vast domain of Western shade 

Or war like music play. 

"The Indian tomahawk and knife 
Which mirthful mocked imploring life 

Lie buried in the ground. 
The advance of war shall be forgot 
And every dark and murderous spot 

No more in Councils found. 

"The bloody belt betokening war 
Shall be consumed, and, smoking far. 

Will purify the ground. 
Where torturing arts of savage power 
Of past time through the midnight hov 

O'er bleeding victims bound. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 95 

"The soothing- lyre with warbHng; strain 
Shall play where battles shook the plain 

And tune her songs of peace. 
Temples will rise where warriors fell 
And heavenly worship quick prevail 

To guide the pagan race. 

"To these vast wilds will science roam 
And raise her ever lighted dome 

To guild the shady West. 
The savage tribes her lamps shall see 
And all their ancient darkness flee 

Thus in her light be blessed. 

"The future muse will paint this clime 
The noblest region of its time 

In beauteous grandeur spread. 
The prairies with their myriad flowers 
In graves far ofl" to distant shores 

O'er nature's richest bed. 

"Here liberty at rest retires 
With altar's pure and hallowed fires 

Whose flame will last with time 
Where all the oppressed can find repose 
Where virtue want nor sorrow knows 

In all this heaven blest clime." 

Another interesting feature of the extensive and 
varied program given on this memorable Fourth of 
July was an oration delivered by Rev. Morgan John 
Rhys (or Rhees) , who is known as "The Welsh Bap- 
tist Hero of Civil and Religious Liberty of the Eigh- 
teenth Century." It seems that Rev. Rhys, a Welsh- 
man by birth, who had lately come to America, had 
been sent out as a missionary among the American 
heathen and frontier settlements of the United 
States by the "Missionary Society of Philadelphia", 
whose members were "impelled by motives of relig- 
ion and benevolence to attempt the propogation of 
Christian and civil knowledge among the aborigines 
of America". This Society availed itself of the op- 



96 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

portunity presented by "the easy access which may 
be had at present to the different tribes by means 
of government estabhshments in various parts of 
their territory, and their tranquil state and the 
friendly disposition of some of their Chiefs." 

In his oration. Rev. Rhys said, in part, the follow- 
ing: "Illustrious Americans — Noble Patriots, you 
commemorate a glorious day — the birthday of free- 
dom in the New World. Yes, Columbia, thou art 
free. The twentieth year of thy independence com- 
mences this day. Thou hast taken the lead in re- 
generating the world. Look back, look forward, 
think of the past, anticipate the future and behold 
with astonishment the transactions of the present 
time ! The globe revolves on the axis of Liberty ; the 
-lew w^orld has put the old in motion ; the light of 
truth, running rapid like lightning, flashes convic- 
tion in the heart of every Civilized nation. Yes, the 
thunder of Amei'ican remonstrance has fallen so 
heavy on the head of the tyrant that other nations, 
encouraged by her example, will extripate all des- 
pots from the earth. 

"Citizens of United States : Whilst you commem- 
oi'ate a glorious resolution, call to mind your tirst 
principles of action, never forget them nor those who 
assisted you to put your principles in practice. May 
the Curse of Meroz (Judges V) never fall upon 
America for not joining the heralds of freedom, 
whilst combatting the tyrants of Europe. 

"Citizens of America : Guard with jealousy the 
Temple of Liberty ; protect her altars from being pol- 
luted with the offerings of force and fraud. 

"Citizens and Soldiers of America — Sons of Lib- 
erty: It is you I address, banish from your land 
the remains of slavery. Be consistent with your 
Congressional declaration of rights and you will be 
happy. Remember, there never was nor will be a 
period when justice should not be done. Do what 
is just and leave the event with God. Justice is the 
pillar that upholds the whole fabric of human soci- 
ety, and mercy is the genial ray which cheers and 
warms the habitations of man. The perfection of 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 97 

our social character consists in tempei-ing the two 
with one another; in holding that middle course 
which admits of our being- just without being rigid, 
and allows us to be generous without being unjust.' 
]May all the citizens of America be found in the per- 
formance of such social virtues as will secure them 
peace and happiness in this world and in the world 
to come, life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. 

On Sunday. July 5th, Rev. Rhys delivered a ser- 
mon m the Council House at Fort Greene Ville be- 
fore Wayne and the officers of the American army 
The title of this sermon was "The Altar of Peace" 
and the text was from Judges 6 :24, "Then Gideon 
built an altar there unto the Lord and called it Je- 
hovah-Shalom (The Lord give peace)", in which he 
exalted the principles of Justice and peace and ex- 
horted the Americans to be true to their early proc- 
lamation of freedom and equality. 

Many of the interesting details in reference to the 
campaigns of St. Clair and Wayne and the Treaty 
of Greene Ville have never been published and many 
valuable articles published in local papers and mag- 
azines have been lost or scattered. It is with great 
pleasure, therefore, that we are able to reproduce 
herewith, a recently discovered manuscript now in 
possession of Hon. C. M. Burton, who secured it with 
many other valuable papers from a descendant of 
the immmediate actors living in Canada, and placed 
it m the Burton Library on Brainard Street, Detroit 
Mich. This was written by one John Askin, Jr., a 
man of Irish descent with decided English sympa- 
thies. He had been engaged in the mercantile busi- 
ness m Detroit for many years and had an extensive 
trade with the Indians, thereby, no doubt, becoming 
acquainted with a large number of them and gaining 
their confidence. About the time that the English 
evacuated Detroit he moved across the river into 
Canada where he died in old age, leaving numerous 
business letters and valuable manuscripts in the 
hands of his descendants— part of which were re- 
cently secured by the Canadian government and 
taken to Ottawa. 



98 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

It seems that John Askin, Sr., had secured a 
number of deeds on the American side from the 
Chippewa Indians, which he desired to have recog- 
nized by the American government at the time of 
the treaty. In order to accomphsh this purpose he 
sent his son, John Askin, Jr., along with a band of 
Chippewa Indians, enroute to the Council at Fort 
Greene Ville, ostensibly as an interpreter, but, in 
reality, in the interest of these deeds. The letter, 
which is largely self explanatory, is as follows : 

From M. S. Burton, v. 3, p. 36-37. 

Detroit, August 19th, 1795. 
Colonel England, 24th Regiment, 
Commandant of Detroit and its Dependencies. 
Sir: 

Being induced, both from duty and inclination, I 
take the liberty of giving you an account of my voy- 
age to Fort Greene Ville, with what came to my 
knowledge while I resided there; it will, I fear, be 
rather long, but lest the parts I might leave out 
would be those you wished to be acquainted with, I 
have thought it advisable to insert in it everything 
that appeared to me any way material. 

It is as follows: 

Several Indian Chiefs of the Chippewa and Otta- 
wa Nation with whom I was well acquainted urged 
me much to accompany them to the Council at 
Greene Ville, assigning for their reasons, that as the 
business they were going on was of great importance 
to them they stood in need of a faithful Interpreter 
and friend. 

After obtaining my Father's concurrence I left 
(Detroit) on the 2d of July, and when I reached 
Fort Defiance it was the 11th. By this time, the 
Indians with me were twenty-seven in number, also 
a Mr. Beaubien and a Mr. Bouffet, who had joined 
the Indians on the route. 

I had a cool reception from Major Hunt, who com- 
manded there, but of this I was aware before my de- 
parture. Mr. McDougal having taken the lead, who 
declared he would make known to the Americans 
my conduct during the troubles — from this first 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 99 

Fort I was inclined to return (to Detroit) , but Major 
Hunt finding- if I did that the Indians would follow 
me, insisted on my proceeding-. 

Blue Jacket, an Indian Chief, who had been sent 
to bring forward Indians to Council, joined us here 
and proceeded with us; this night, being the 14th, 
Mr. McDougal overtook U6. It was the 19th before 
we reached Fort Adams, the 20th we got to Fort 
Recovery and the 21st to Fort Greene Ville. Soon 
after our arrival a Major of Dragoons, said General 
Wayne wished to see us. We proceeded to the Coun- 
cil House, which is situated in the Fort. Here Gen- 
eral Wayne received us and shook hands with all the 
Indians. Omissas, a Chippewa Chief, who had been 
chosen to speak for the Ottawas, Pottawattomies, and 
his nation, asked me for a few Strings of Wampum 
he had given me in charge and with them made the 
following speech: 

"Brothers: We, the Chippewas, looking over our 
bundles, found your Strings of Wampum that had 
been given us at Muskingum, and thought it time 
to come and see you at the great Council Fire." 

General Wayne in return said : 

"I am extremely happy to ^ee you and more so to 
hear that you brought the Strings of Wampum, gave 
you at Muskingum, you, Omissas, spoke like an hon- 
est, sensible, and good hearted man, and I take you 
again by the hand for your honesty." 

Omissas to General Wayne: 

"Brothers: Should any one say that they advised 
us to come to this Council or say they brought us to 
this place, it's false, we came of our own free will 
and have brought this English man (meaning me) 
with us to repeat to us what you say in Council, and 
that M^e may be instructed with every thing that will 
be said to us and not be so ignorant of this Council 
as we were of that of Muskingum." 

Blue Jacket's speech to General Wayne : 

"Brothers : I am extremely sorry that I have not 
been able to accomplish what I wished to have done 
owing to the number of bad birds who were contin- 
ually whispering in my Shawnee Chiefs ears, and 
have prevented them from coming sooner, however, 



100 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

I have a bit of Tobacco from them and they sent me 
word they would come immediately, but I cannot 
assure you they will." 

General Wayne's answer: 

"Brothers: I am sensible of the great Zeal and 
wish you have come to serve the States and that you 
have done all in your power for them. I am well 
persuaded that you met great numbers of bad birds, 
who did all they could to prevent what you went 
about." 

July 22. No Council. 

July 23. As I was going to the Council I was told 
by Mons Beaubien not to go, that the Centinel would 
Stop me. The General's aid de Camp told him so. 
When I stopped the Indians stopped also and said 
they would not go but on my telling them it was all 
the same they could repeat to me at night what had 
passed, they proceeded. 

July 24. The Indians gave in their answer this 
day with a white belt of Wampum as follows: 

"Brothers: We know nothing of the Six Thou- 
sand Dollars said to have been given the Indians at 
Muskingum, but as for the Wyandotts, they perhaps 
know of these dollare. They were accustomed to 
horde up all they got on these occasions and never 
let others know of it. The Wyandots were displeased 
and begged leave^ to give their answer next day." 

July 25. This "day General Wayne explained that 
the six thousand dollars were given in goods, etc. 
Then the Chippewas were satisfied with the Wyan- 
dots and said it was true that they had received pres- 
ents, but thought they were given them for having 
buried the hatchet and not for Lands. 

July 26. The Miamis spoke and said their Grand 
Father had given them these lands and they were 
told not to sell them nor give them away and of 
course the Tribes who had given them at Muskin- 
gum had no right to them, and several other words 
to the sanie purpose. 

July 27. The Indians were allowed to speak 
among themselves. 

July 28. I wrote to General Wayne for a pass to 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 101 

return home (to Detroit) and received for answer, 
to call next day. 

July 29. Waited on General Wayne, he delivered 
me a letter from Mrs. Askin, which he opened and 
shewed me another asking if I knew the hand writ- 
ing? I said I did. It was my Father's, he then pro- 
ceeded to read its contents to me, and after he had 
done reading, he said he looked upon me as a spy 
and that I deserved death. I told him that I knew 
of no spies in time of peace, he said it was true, but 
he still had the power of sending me to a Fort in the 
Woods, and immediately ordered a party of Light 
Horse to take me to Fort Jefferson, he likewise or- 
dered my papers to be examined and an officer took 
out of them two Indian Deeds of Land given me in 
charge by a gentleman here, which he said would be 
returned, but as yet have not. 

The Commanding Officer at Fort Jefferson had 
orders not to let me speak to any one, but in his 
presence, nor to write to anj^ person except the Gen- 
eral, to do him justice, he treated me with much civ- 
ility. 

July 30th and 31st. In confinement. 

August 1. The Indians delivered a white belt of 
Wampum, requesting I might be set at Liberty, the 
General gave for answer that I should in two days, 
however, the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth 
elapsed but on the seventh the General wrote me a 
note saying I was at liberty and in it invited me to 
dine with him (which I did), on the eighth I got a 
pass and set off and the fifteenth (of August) ar- 
rived here (at Detroit). 

As I was not at any of the Councils but the first, 
I can only speak from the reports of the Indians and 
others, who informed me that until I was some days 
in confinement the Indians, who went out with me, 
would neither consent to ratify the Muskingum 
Treaty nor give up their claims to the disposal of 
their lands, nor I am sure ever would, had I not been 
confined and deprived of giving them advice, but 
being intimidated by the threats of the General, say- 
ing he would drive them back into the Sea if they 
did not acquiesce in his demands, and seeing the 



102 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

other Nations (from fear and persuasion of some of 
our Canadian and English friends) agree, they at 
last did the same, prior to my being released. 

The Treaty so far as I could learn was, that they 
confirmed the Muskingum Treaty and added to it 
all the lands situated on the South side of the (source 
of the) Miamis River (and Fort Recovery). They 
sold six miles square, near where Fort Miami is sit- 
uated. Twelve miles square at and about (certain 
different localities,) which were to be given up and 
such small spots about them as the English had pur- 
chased and that they should have that matter cleared 
up, which they accordingly did next day and it was 
then acknowledged to them that our Government 
had not given over their lands. 

It was reported, at my departure, that very soon 
after a party of Americans were to come by land to 
the spot purchased up the river of (Raisin) and take 
post there, likewise at Sandusky, to Build a Fort. 

I am with due respect. 
Sir, 
Your most obedient and very humble servant, 
JOHN ASKIN, Jr. 

From this letter it will be noticed that the confer- 
ence preliminary to the Treaty was held in the 
Council House, which was located within the enclos- 
ure of the fort; that Fort Jefferson, which was the 
most advanced post built and garrisoned by St. 
Clair in October, 1791, some five miles south of 
Greene Ville, was still maintained by Wayne as an 
important link in the chain of posts reaching from 
Fort Washington to Fort Wayne. 

That Askin was employed by the British for some 
mercenary purpose is suggested by the fact that on 
his return to Detroit he made a report to Colonel 
England, then the Commandant of that post, in 
which he states that he would have advised the In- 
dians not to have signed the treaty if he had not 
been prevented from doing so. Wayne evidently 
suspected his mission and treated him accordingly 
in which matter he was advised by one Mr. McDou- 
gal who overtook the Askin party at Fort Defiance 
and accompanied them to Greene Ville. 



VI. 

THE TREATY OF GREENEVILLE. 

"See again the smoke is curling 
From the friendly calumet 
And the Club of War is buried 
And the star of slaughter set." 

— Anonymous. 




GREENEVILLE TREATY PEACE PIPE 

Now ill Museum of Ohio State Archaeological and Historical 
Society's Museum, Columbus, Ohio. 

At the preliminary conference of the Confeder- 
ated Tribes held at Fort Greene Ville on January 
24, 1795, it had been agreed that all their sachems 
and war chiefs should meet Wajnie at this frontier 
post on or about June 15, to consult and conclude 
a satisfactory peace. We have noticed that strag- 
gling bands representing the various tribes have 
been gathering and holding conferences prelimin- 
ary to the great Council at which all are to meet 
the distinguished representatives of the Fifteen 
Fires. 

On account of the remote situation of some of the 
tribes and the obstacles encountered in traveling 
through the primitive forest, coupled with the 
intrigue of the British agents, the Indians kept ar- 
riving in small parties from their homes on the 
Wabash, the Maumee and the Great Lakes. Some 
had met in former treaties and had fought the 
Americans in more than one hot engagement ; many 
had helped to I'out poor St. Clair and all had been 
humiliated by the great "Chief who never sleeps." 
As they arrived Wayne received them cordially and 
expressed pleasure at their voluntary expression of 

103 



i04 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

sentiments of peace. When Chief New Corn ar- 
rived he manifested grief on account of the graves 
of his tribesmen who had been killed in their attack 
on Fort Recovery the summer previous as he had 
passed them on the way to the Council. Wayne re- 
minded him that such grief was unmanly, and, in 
order to make glad the hearts of the Chiefs and dry 
their tears he gave each a sheep for his personal use 
and some drink for themselves and their people, 
suggesting at the same time that they all take a 
glass together. He explained further to them that 
the Americans had no pork and but few sheep which 
were intended for the use of the sick and occasion- 
ally, for the use of the officers. He promised them 
that their sick should share with his own in the 
comforts of the camp, and that he would divide 
with the officers. 

On the 15th of July, the Council fire, which had 
been covered on the 16th day of June, was stirred 
up and replenished and around its sacred embers 
gathered, no doubt, a motley group of chiefs, scouts, 
spies, interpreters, and officers, among whom might 
probably be noticed the faces of Wayne and his 
aides, Wm. H. Harrison and T. Lewis ; the Quarter- 
master General Jas.O'Hara; Major of Infantry, John 
Mills ; Lieutenant of Artillery, Geo. Cemeter ; Chap- 
lain, David Jones and Secretary DeButts ; a number 
of French Canadian interpreters including LaFon- 
taine, Navarre, Eichambre, Beufert, Jacques Las- 
selle, Grant Lasselle, H. Lasselle, M. Morans and 
Sans Crainte, besides the famous frontier scouts, 
Wm. Wells, Christopher Miller, Cabot Willson, Abra- 
ham Williams and Isaac Zane. Among the Indian 
faces might be detected Little Turtle and LeGris, 
representing the Miamis ; Blue Jacket and Black 
Hoof, the Shawnees, Bukongehelas, Tetaboshke and 
Peketelemund of the Delaware; Massas and Bad 
Bird, the Chippewas ; Augooshaway, the Ottawa ; 
New Corn, Sun and Asimethe, the Pottawattomies ; 
Keeahah, the Kickapoo ; Reyntwoco, of the Six Na- 
tions, and Tarke, or the Crane, the great keeper of 
the Calumet of the Wyandots. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 105 

In the presence of this wonderful backwoods as- 
sembly Wayne arose on the 15th of July and ad- 
dressed the Council at length, explaining his powers 
and urging the Treaty of Muskingum (Fort Har- 
mar) as a suitable basis of lasting peace. By that 
treaty the Indians signed in 1785, by the terms of 
which they kept the country west of the Cuyahoga 
river and south of the lakes to a line running west- 
ward near the fortieth parallel as far as the head- 
waters of the Great Miami river, retaining the privi- 
lege of hunting and fishing to the Ohio river, and 
giving the American certain trading posts with 
small surrounding tracts. 

Time was given for deliberation and on the 18th, 
discussion followed relative to the validity and force 
of the Treaty of Muskingum of which some of the 
chiefs professed ignorance. Wayne endeavored to 
impress the chiefs and warriors assembled with the 
great importance of the interests at stake and with 
the fact that they were now called upon to determine 
questions which involved the happiness of both the 
United States and the Indian nations represented, 
after which he invoked the blessings of the Great 
Spirit upon their deliberations. 

About the year 1794, the Society of Friends be- 
came concerned for the welfare of the Indians in 
the Western Country as well as that of the frontier 
settlers, who were liable to much suffering on ac- 
count of the depredations of the Indians. Deeply 
affected with the horrors attendant on the barbar- 
ous raids against the pioneers, the Yearly Meeting 
nominated a large committee with instructions to 
endeavor to terminate these hostilities. In the same 
year they sent a memorial to the President and 
Congress recommending the adoption of such just 
and pacific measures toward the various tribes as 
might arrest the further shedding of "blood and es- 
tablish peace on a firm basis. A treaty was soon 
afterward held at Sandusky, but nothing was effect- 
ed there. 

At the opening of the treaty at Fort Greene Ville, 
General Wayne read the address of the Friends' 



106 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

Yearly Meeting- at Philadelphia, which they had for- 
warded to the Indians in this Council together with 
some presents. This letter was concluded in lan- 
guage entirely calculated to allay those feelings of 
bitterness which had been implanted deeply in their 
minds on account of accumulated wrongs. Of this 
letter General Wayne remarked to the Chiefs in 
Council : "Younger brothers — I have received a 
letter from your friends, the people called Quakers, 
with a message to all Nations here assembled. The 
Quakers are a people whom I much love and esteem 
for their goodness of heart and sincere love of peace 
with all nations. 

"Listen then to their voices and let them sink deep 
into your hearts (here the General read their ad- 
dress and the invoice of their presents) . Their 
present, you see, is small, but, being designed with 
the benevolent view of promoting the happiness and 
peace of mankind, it becomes of important value. 
They wish it to be considered merely as a token of 
regard for j^ou and a testimony of their brotherly 
affections and kind remembrance of you." 

On the 20th of July Wayne read to the warriors 
assembled in Council the offer of peace sent to them 
just before the battle of Fallen Timbers. He also 
read and explained the Treaty of Fort Harmar and 
pointed to a number of Chiefs who were present 
and had signed both that treaty and the Treaty of 
Fort Mcintosh and asked them to consider seriously 
what he had said with the view of making known 
their thoughts at the next meeting. 

On the 21st, the discussion was continued and sev- 
eral prominent chiefs took part, being followed by 
Little Turtle, who professed ignorance of the ces- 
sion of lands along the Wabash and expressed sur- 
prise that these lands had been ceded by the British 
to the Americans when the former were beaten by 
and made peace with the latter. 

Perhaps the great climax of all the deliberations 
was reached on Wednesday, July 22d, when the tall 
and crafty Chief of the Miamis made a shrewd and 
eloquent address before the great Council. Most of 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 107 

our readers, perhaps, have read the pathetic speech 
of Chief Logan deploring the unwarranted murder 
of his brethren, but few of us have perused the 
classic and masterful address delivered by Little 
Turtle on this rare and inspiring occasion. Let us 
imagine him on this day trigged out in the pictur- 
esque and fantastic costume of the typical Indian 
Chief with paint, beads and feathers, to heighten 
the effect as he strides solemnly and majestically 
forward to the center of the encircling Council. 
Thoughts of the past power and prestige of his wan- 
ing nation and the early victories over the advanc- 
ing Americans throng his brain as he casts his 
eagle eyes toward the blazing July sun and then 
turns impressively to his large and picturesque audi- 
ence. We may imagine him with a sweep of his 
outstretched arm, describing the lands over which 
his forefathers claimed dominion ; with a handful of 
earth, symbolizing the remaining tribal allotments; 
with a few kernels rattled in a dry pod illustrat- 
ing the decimated numbers of his people, and with 
the down of a thistle or milkweed scattered to the 
wind symbolizing the coming race. "I expect," said 
he, "that the lands on the Wabash and in this coun- 
try belong to me and my people. I now take the 
opportunity to inform my brethren of the United 
States and others present that there are men of 
sen^e and understanding among my people as well 
as among theirs, and that these lands were disposed 
of without our knowledge or consent." "You have 
pointed out," he continued, "the boundary line be- 
tween the Indian and the LTnited States, but I now 
take the liberty to inform you that that line cuts off 
from the Indians a large portion of country which 
has been enjoyed by my forefathers from time im- 
memorial without molestation or dispute." "The 
prints of my ancestors' houses are everywhere to be 
seen in this portion. I was a little astonished at 
hearing you and my brethren who were present, 
telling each other what business you had transacted 
together at Muskingum concerning this country. It 
is well known by all my brothers present that my 



108 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

forefathers kindled the first fire at Detroit; from 
thence he extended his Hnes to the headwaters of 
the Scioto; from thence to its mouth; from thence 
down the Ohio to the mouth of the Wabash and 
from thence to Lake Michigan. 

"At this place I first saw my elder brothers, the 
Shawnees. I have now informed you of the boun- 
daries of the Miami nation where the Great Spirit 
placed my forefathers a long time ago, and charged 
him not to sell or part with his lands, but to pre- 
serve them for his posterity. 

"This charge has been handed down to me I was 
much surprised that my brothers differed so much 
from me on this subject; for their conduct would 
lead me to suppose that the Great Spirit and their 
forefathers had not given them the same charge that 
was given to me, but on the contrary had directed 
them to sell their lands to any who wore a hat as 
soon as he should ask it of them." 

What a great Indian empire was here described 
by the sagacious Little Turtle, which, without a 
doubt originally belonged to the Miamis. It includ- 
ed the present state of Indiana, part of southern 
Michigan and the western half of Ohio and a portion 
of northeastern Illinois. 

A number of other tribes and bands of Indians 
inhabited this country it is true, but they were mostly 
tribes of near kinship, and all of them belonged to 
this great Miami Confederacy, where the capital or 
general headquarters was at the junction of the St. 
Marys and St. Joseph rivers, now Fort Wayne. 
This was the abode of the principal chiefs of the 
confederate tribes and their reluctance in yielding 
its possession to the government of the United States 
was graphically shown in the conduct of Little Tur- 
tle, who was born within twenty miles of this place. 
In this contest at Greene Ville there met two diplo- 
mats, General Wayne, on the part of the United 
States, and Little Turtle, on behalf of the Indian 
confederacy, who would have been enabled to cope 
with the most sagacious State Minister of an Euro- 
pean Court. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 109 

The time occupied would have been somewhat 
abridged had it not been for the obstacles interposed 
by Little Turtle, the master spirit on the part of the 
Indians, whose chief point was to retain partial if 
not full possession of his glorious gate at Fort 
Wayne, through which all of the good words had to 
pass from north to south and from east to west. 

The other chiefs, many of whom gave evidence of 
much wisdom and eloquence early in the negotia- 
tions, evinced a disposition to assent readily to all 
the terms prescribed by the commissioner of the 
United States. This entire discussion is of deep 
interest and in reply to Little Turtle's speech above 
mentioned, General Wayne said in his address be- 
fore the Council held on the 24th of July : 

"I have paid attention to what Little Turtle said 
two days since concerning the land which he claims. 
He said his fathers first kindled the fires at Detroit 
and stretched his lines from thence to the head- 
waters of the Scioto ; thence down the Scioto to the 
Ohio; thence down that river to the mouth of the 
Wabash and from thence to Chicago on the south- 
west end of Lake Michigan, and observed that his 
forefathers had enjoyed that country from time im- 
memorial. 

"These boundaries enclose a very large space of 
country, indeed they embrace, if I mistake not, all 
the lands on which all the nations now present live 
as well as those which have been ceded to the United 
States. Then Little Turtle says, the prints of his 
forefathers' houses are everywhere to be seen with- 
in these boundaries. Younger brother, it is true 
these prints are to be observed but at the same time 
we discover the marks of the French possessions 
throughout this country, which were established long 
before we were born. I will point out to you a few 
places where I discover strong traces of these estab- 
lishments, and first of all I find at Detroit a very 
strong print where the fire was first kindled by your 
forefathers ; next at Vincennes on the Wabash ; again 
at Musquiton on the same river; a little higher up 
that stream, they are to be seen at Ouitanon. I dis- 



110 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

cover another strong trace at Chicago; another on 
the banks of the St. Joseph of Lake Michigan. I 
have seen distinctly the prints of a French and of a 
British post at the Miami villages (Fort Wayne) 
and of a British post at the rapids now in their pos- 
sessions." 

At the Council on the 27th of July, after a general 
acquiescence to the terms of the treaty had been 
given by the other chiefs, Little Turtle arose and 
said: "Listen, you chiefs and warriors, to what I 
am about to say to you ; to you I am speaking. We 
have heard what our elder brother has said to us 
this day. I expected to have him deliver those 
words ever since we have been here for which rea- 
son I observed you were precipitate on you part. 
This is a business of greatest consequence to us all, 
it is an affair to which no one among us can give 
us an answer. Therefore, I hope we will take time 
to consider the subject that we will unite in an 
opinion and express it unanimously. Perhaps our 
brothers the Shawnees from Detroit may arrive in 
time to give us their assistanc^e. You chiefs pres- 
ent are men of sense and understanding. This occa- 
sion calls for your serious deliberations, and you. 
my uncles, the Wyandots, and grandfathers, the 
Delawares, view our situation in its true point of 
consideration. 

"All you present must know that every kind of 
business, especially such as we are at present en- 
gaged in, exhibits difficulties which require patience 
to remove, and consideration to adjust." 

In the discussion on the day following (July 28th) 
the New Corn, a Pottawattomie Chief, growing im- 
patient at the delay, exclaimed : "Why do you hesi- 
tate? You know good works are always better 
when executed with decision. I now entreat you all 
to join hand and heart, and finish this good work 
with our elder brother." 

At the Council on the 29th of July, addressing 
General Wayne, Little Turtle said: "These people 
(the French) were seen by our forefathers first at 
Detroit; afterward we saw them at the Miami vil- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. Ill 

lage (Fort Wayne) that g-lorioiis gate which your 
younger brother had the happiness to own and 
through which all the words of our chiefs had to 
pass from the north to south and from east to west. 
Brothers, these people never told us that they 
wished to purchase these lands from us. I now give 
you the true sentiments of your younger brothers, 
the Miamis, with respect to the reservation at the 
Miami villages. We thank you for kindly contract- 
ing the limits you at first proposed. We wish you to 
take this six miles square on the side of the river 
where your fort now stands, as your younger broth- 
ers wish to inhabit that beloved spot again. You 
shall cut hay for your cattle wherever you please; 
and you shall never require in vain the assistance of 
your younger brother at that place. The next place 
you pointed to, was the Little river, and said you 
wanted two miles square at that place. This is a 
request that, our fathers the French or British never 
made us. It was always ours. This carrying place 
has heretofore proved in a great degree the sub- 
sistance of your younger brothers. That place has 
brought to us in the course of one day the amount 
of one hundred dollars. Let us both own this place 
and enjoy in common the advantages it affords." 

In his reply General Wayne used the following- 
language: "I find there is some objections to the 
reservation at Fort Wayne. The Little Turtle ob- 
serves he never heard of any cessions made at that 
place to the French. I have traced the lines of two 
forts at that point; one stood at the junction of the 
St. Joseph with the St. Marys; and the other not 
far removed on the St. Marys and it ever was an 
established rule among the Europeans to reserve as 
much ground around their forts as their cannon can 
command. This is a rule as well known as any 
other fact. 

''Objection has also been made respecting the 
portage between Fort Wayne and the Little river; 
and the reasons produced are, that that road has 
been to the Miamis a source of wealth ; that it has 
heretofore produced them one hundred dollars per 



112 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

day. It may be so; but let us inquire who in fact 
paid this heavy contribution. It is true the traders 
bore it in the first instance, but they laid it on the 
goods, and the Indians of the Wabash really and 
finally paid it; therefore, it is the Little Beaver, the 
Soldier, the Sun and their tribes who have actually 
been so highly taxed." 

On the 17th day of July, 1795, was fixed the boun- 
dary that should divide the United States, or the 
fifteen great fires of America, from the lands be- 
longing to the Indian nations. 

Wayne explained to them the several articles of a 
treaty upon which a permanent peace could be es- 
tablished between the United States and the Indian 
tribes northwest of the Ohio. The third article 
which should define the boundary reads : "That the 
general boundary between the lands of the United 
States and the lands of the said Indian tribes shall 
begin at the mouth of the Cuyahoga river and run 
thence up the same to the portage between that and 
the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum; thence 
down that branch to the crossing place near Fort 
Laurens ; thence w^estwardly to a fork of that branch 
of the Great Miami river running into the Ohio riv- 
er, at or near which stood Loramie's store, and 
where commenced the portage between the IMiami 
of the Ohio and St. Marys river which is a branch 
of the Miami, which runs into Lake Erie; thence 
a westerly course to Fort Recovery, which stands on 
the bank of the Wabash ; thence southerly in a direct 
line to the Ohio, so as to intersect that river oppo- 
site the mouth of the Kentucky river." 

There were certain reservations granted to the 
Indians in this treaty. A lasting peace was provid- 
ed for and it was stipulated that all the prisoners 
then held should be restored. 

Little Turtle insisted that the line should run from 
Fort Recovery to Fort Hamilton on the Great Miami, 
and assured the whites of the free navigation of that 
river from thence to its mouth forever. 

The treaty was signed August 3d, and exchanged 
August 7, 1795. It was laid before the Senate 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 113 

December 9, 1795, and was ratified December 22, 
1795. This closed the old Indian wars of the west. 
General Wayne, in declaring the Council at an end, 
said: 

"I now fervently pray to the Great Spirit that th6 
peace now established may be permanent, and that 
it now holds us together in the bonds of friendship 
until time shall be no more. I also pray that the 
Great Spirit above may enlighten your minds and 
open your eyes to your true happiness, that your 
children may learn to cultivate the earth and enjoy 
the fruits of peace and industry." 

By this treaty the Indians ceded about twenty-five 
thousand (25,000) square miles of territory to the 
United States, besides sixteen separate tracts, in- 
cluding lands and forts. The Indians received in 
consideration of these cessions goods of the value 
of twenty thousand dollars as presents, and were 
promised an annual allowance of ninety-five hun- 
dred dollars to be equally distributed to the parties 
to the treaty. 

Twelve tribes were represented at the treaty as 
follows : Delawares, 381 ; Pottawattomies, 240 ; 
Wy^ndots, 180 ; Shawnees, 143 ; Miamis and Eel 
Rivers, 73 ; Chippewas, 46 ; Ottawas, 45 ; Weas and 
Piankeshawas, 17 ; Kickapoos and Kaskaskias, 10, 
in all 1,130. 

Every chief and warrior of the eleven hundred 
and thirty who participated in that Council has long 
since passed to the land of the Great Spirit. 

General Wayne died on the banks of Lake Erie, 
in 1796, and doubtless the dying hero saw in its tur- 
bulent waters at times something of his own uncon- 
querable will and at others that quiet peace which 
come at last to his restless soul. The influence of 
that will remain forever. It saved defenseless set- 
tlements from the tomahawk and scalping knife of 
the Indian, and opened up to emigration and settle- 
ment the limitless west. 

It is the testimony of history that the confederate 
tribes kept the faith pledged at Greene Ville and 
never violated the limits established by the treaty. 



114 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



The writer of the vokime on Ohio, in the "Amer- 
ican Commonwealth Series," says : "It was a grand 
tribute to General Wayne, that no chief or warrior 
who gave him the land at Fort Greene Ville ever 
after lifted the hatchet against the United States." 

At the Gi'eene Ville Treaty the new government 
presented Little Turtle and other participating 
chiefs with a beautiful silver medal, which was high- 
ly prized by the savages. These medals and silver 
ornaments were given out August 8th. This medal 





(iREENEVIIJ.E TREATY MEDAL 

August 3, ITltP. 

was a fac-simile of the Red Jacket medal, except that 
the date engraved thereon was 1795. It was of 
oblong shape and four by six inches in size. 

The Red Jacket medal was presented to Chief 
Red Jacket in the spring of 1792, at Philadelphia, 
by President Washington. It is now in the custody 
of the Buffalo Historical Society. 

From time immemorial loyalty has been rewarded 
by the conferring of land and titles of nobility ; by 
the personal thanks of the sovereign ; the presenta- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 115 

tions of medals and the bestowal of knightly hon- 
ors, the insignia of which were hung on the breast 
of the recipient. With the Indian Chief of the 
western tribes it was the same. 

The following is a complete description of the 
Greene Ville treaty medal: On the obverse side, 
President Washington is represented in uniform, 
bareheaded, facing to the right and presenting a 
pipe to an Indian Chief, who is smoking it. The 
Indian is standing, and has a large medal suspend- 
ing from his neck. On the left is a pine tree at the 
foot of which lies a tomahawk. In the background 
is a farmer plowing. Below, in exergue, George 
Washington, President, 1795. On the reverse side 
appears the arms and crest of the United States on 
the breast of an eagle. In the eagle's right talon 
is an olive branch, in the left a sheaf of arrows, in 
its beak the motto, E Pluribus Unum, and above a 
glory breaking through the clouds and surrounded 
by thirteen stars. 

It seems that the Little Turtle medal is now lost, 
as we have so far failed to find it among any of his 
descendants, or to learn where any of them have 
disposed of it. It was not interred with him at his 
burial, as its absence was especially noticed from 
all of the other things that were taken from the 
grave. Its present location seems to be entirely 
unknown to any person now living. However, one 
of these medals were presented to Wa-pa-man-qua, 
White Loon, a Wea Chief, and secured from one of 
his descendants in Oklahoma by E, B. Dyer, of 
Augusta, Georgia. It is now in the public museum 
of Kansas City, Missouri. ^ 

Another was presented to She-nock-in-wak, or 
Soldier as he was commonly called. Chief of the Eel 
River Miamis. We learn that one of the above 
named chiefs of Miami county, Indiana, whose 
name was John Eveline, sold this medal about 1906, 
to Charles F. Gunther, a wealthy relic collector and 
extensive candy manufacturer of the city of Chica- 
go. So this is about all we are able to say concern- 
ing any and all of the Greene Ville treaty medals 



116 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

given out by the government at the treaty in 1795, 
to the various chiefs and warriors there assembled. 

The Indians were loathe to leave GreeneVille 
even after the General's eloquent farewell speech, 
and besought him to accept as a token of their love 
and esteem for him a present of the GreeneVille 
treaty peace pipe, which with great ceremony was 
handed to him by Tar-ke, or the Crane, the Wyan- 
dot Chief, whose tribe was always the keeper of 
this sacred implement. 

Let us strive to realize the full significance and 
the great importance attached by the aboriginal 
inhabitant of America to the solemn pledge which 
the pipe of peace conveyed when once smoked in 
solemn council between the various tribes which 
had been at war with each other. It was believed 
by them that the fumes from the smoke of the pipe 
of peace ascended into the presence of the Great 
Spirit. When this is fully comprehended, we can 
more readily understand the full meaning of the 
sentence uttered by Little Turtle -at the treaty of 
GreeneVille, when he said, that he would be the 
first to sign the treaty and the last to break it. 
Let us note and remember this remark made by the 
greatest Indian diplomat of all time, at one of the 
greatest treaties ever consummated between the 
white and the red man ; a treaty next in importance 
to that magna charter granted to General Rufus 
Putnam in 1787. 

Since the first time the peace-breathing pipe 
was smoked its solemnity was nowhere more 
fully illustrated than at this treaty of Fort Greene- 
Ville, August 3, 1795, on the site of Greenville, 
Ohio, located in the northwest corner of Section 35, 
Township 12, Range 2 East. 

Fort Jeff'erson is located east part Section 28, 
Township 11, Range 2 East, both of Darke County, 
Ohio. 

For a full account verbatim of that docur.ient 
known as the GreeneVille Treaty, we refer the 
reader to page 119, Henry Harvey's History of the 
Shawnee Indians; and to Knapp's History of the 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 117 

]\Iaumee Valley, page 221 ; and to various contem- 
porary authors. 

We learn from Knapp's "History of the Mau- 
mee Valley", page 358, that at a farewell confer- 
ence on August 12th, after the treaty had been 
signed and exchanged with the Miami, Eel River, 
Kickapoo and possibly a few other chiefs, that Lit- 
tle Turtle in his farewell address to General Wayne, 
and in the name of the others observed : 

"That as they intended soon to depart and return 
to their respective homes, he took the opportunity 
of repeating to the General, that he himself, and 
the Indians with him were perfectly acquainted 
with every article of the treaty ; that no part had 
escaped their serious and anxious deliberation ; that 
in the early stage of the negotiation he had not 
comprehended the moderation and liberality with 
which he is now convinced it is dictated ; that to 
this cause, and to a duty which he conceived he 
owed his country, must be attributed the opposition 
he exhibited on sundry occasions ; that he was per- 
suaded his father would not think unkindly of him 
for it; for he had heard him with much pleasure 
approve of the freedom with which he delivered his 
sentiments ; that he was a man who spoke as he 
thought and a man of sincerity; and that he em- 
braced this last opportunity to declare to him that 
as he was fully convinced that this treaty was wise- 
ly and benevolently calculated to promote the mutual 
interests and insure the permanent happiness of the 
Indians and of their father, the Americans ; so it 
was his determined resolution to adhere religiously 
to its stipulations". 

He asked for traders to reside at their different 
villages and mentioned the names of some who for 
the confidence he had in their integrity they wished 
might be licensed and continued by the United 
States as traders among them. He hoped for the 
Weas, in particular, that a fort would be imme- 
diately established at Ouiatanon, and promised ev- 
ery assistance which they could afford to the estab- 
lishment; that he himself would reside near Fort 
Wayne, where daily experience should convince his 



118 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

father of his sincere friendship ; and that as he 
intended to re-kindle the grand Council Fire at that 
place by means of which the different nations might 
communicate with each other as usual, he requested 
his father to give orders to the commandant at Fort 
Wayne to inform him from time to time of any 
measures which the great council of the Fifteen 
Fires might adopt in which the interests of their 
children should be concerned; and that Captain 
William Wells might be placed there as a resident 
interpreter, as he possessed their confidence as fully 
as he did that of their father. 

"We children all well understand the sense of this 
treaty which is now concluded. We have exper- 
ienced daily proofs of your increasing kindness. I 
hope we may all have sense enough to enjoy our 
dawning happiness and to this end may we all 
abide in everlasting peace." This and much more 
Little Turtle said in this farewell address. 

He had awakened from this delightful reverie 
in which dreams of his childhood had come again; 
And when these thoughts were plucked from the 
halls of memory sweet. He knew of the power of 
the Miamis in the days of his youth and now fore- 
saw their decline and final extinction with prophetic 
vision. 

With his mind filled with those gloomy forebod- 
ings, he poured out his soul in that Indian eloquence 
that was never forgotten by those who heard him. 

There was an officer of Wayne's legion present 
who witnessed the dignity and noble bearing of 
Little Turtle and heard this notable address of the 
distinguished Chief. He was a painter, quite equal 
to George H. Catlin, and became wonderfully im- 
pressed with the surrounding landscape ; General 
Wayne, his interpreters, aides and officers in full 
uniform, and Little Turtle and his associated Indian 
Chiefs bedecked in striking Indian attire. Hence, 
he proceeded with paint and brush to delineate one 
of the most striking paintings, now in possession of 
the Chicago Historical Society. Through the cour- 
tesy of this society we present in these pages a 
photograph of this wonderful painting. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 



119 



Caroline M. IMcIlvain, librarian of the society, in 
her annual report for 1914, says : "Mr. LaVerne 
Noyes is the donor of one of the most important 
gifts of the year, namely: a small painting, said to 
have been painted by an officer of Anthony Wayne's 
legion. Who that officer was is today a mystery, 
and we suppose will always remain a problem un- 
solved". The site depicted in this painting was also 
unknown, consequently, a photograph was taken of 
it, which was then sent to responsible parties at the 
various early forts built by Wayne during his cam- 
paign against the Indians, for identification. One 
was sent to the writer of these pages, who imme- 
diately identified the topography and landscape as 




This is likely Little Turtle's farewell address to General Wayne and 

ofEeers, at foot of Stoney Alley, Greenville, Ohio, August 12, 1795. 

(This through courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society.) 

that of Fort GreeneVille, and the occasion, prob- 
ably that described in Knapp's "History of the Mau- 
mee Valley" as above mentioned on August 12th, 

Judging from the photograph here presented this 
conference probably occurred near the water's edge 
of Greenville creek, just outside of the northern 
walls of the fort, as its northeast bastion is shown 
in the distance on the extreme right of the view, 
near the present Broadway bridge. As the photo- 
graph of this painting plainly shows the waters of 
Greenville creek were glimmering in the noonday's 
sun, and the majestic oaks and elms were arrayed 
in beautiful midsummer foliage. Tecumseh's point 



120 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

and the highlands on which Minatown, a suburb of 
Greenville, now stands, are seen to the north across 
the creek. The brick house of Mr, W. A. Lohman, 
No. 240 Water Street, Lot No. 332, now stands in 
the middle of this historic prairie. Old settlers 
still remember this ravine which headed a little 
south of Water Street, and ran northward across 
Water Street, becoming- deeper and much wider as 
it approached the creek just east of Elm Street. 

Mr. W. A. Lohman, an old and reliable resident 
says, that Greenville creek has been ditched since 
he first lived there, some fifty years ago in order 
to drain the Mud creek prairies above ; and that 
before the ditching was done there was good boat- 
ing all along the creek, and that the ordinary depth 
of the water was four feet during the summer 
months ; and that now its average is only four inches 
for the same season of the year. 

This ravine which led to the old fording place, 
as well as the bottoms on the south side of the creek 
to near the water's edge have been filled by reducing 
the knoll to the west and hauling in other dirt, and 
today the homes and buildings of the citizens of 
Greenville are standing all along the north side of 
Water Street. It is quite evident that a great 
change has taken place in the topography of this 
immediate vicinity in the last one hundred and 
twenty-five years — originally almost a wilderness, 
now a beautiful city. 

We suggest as a key to the proper understanding 
of this famous painting — the author of whom no 
doubt will remain forever ujiknown — the following 
explanation : The officer standing near the Indian 
Chief vith the epaulettes on his shoulder is, with- 
out doubt. General Wayne, as indicated by his stat- 
ure, features and bodily contour. The Indian Chief- 
tain talking to him most probably is Little Turtle, 
as shown by his height, his headdress, ear rings, 
beads and sash across the right shoulder which cor- 
respond with another authentic painting of his 
shown in the first pages of this work. More than 
that, the artist, without doubt, intended to portray 
the principal characters in this famous group. Who 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 121 

could have been more famous at that time and place 
than General Wayne and Chief Little Turtle? The 
Indian Chief holding the peace pipe is likely the 
Wyandot Chief, the Crane, keeper of the calumet, 
or pipe of peace. 

The remainder of the white officers were some of 
Wayne's aides, subordinate officers and interpi-eters. 
William Henry Harrison was here as a lieutenant, 
and Captain William Wells, acting as interpreter 
is shown on one knee, with book and pencil tran- 
scribing the Indian speech. The tents, erected on 
the outside of the fort, were for the convenience 
of the various Chiefs and warriors attending this 
memoriable treaty of 1795. 

On August 3, 1906, the Greenville Historical So- 
ciety unveiled a beautiful bronze tablet with this 
inscription : "Placed to commemorate the Treaty 
of GreeneVille, Signed August 3d, 1795, by Gen- 
eral Anthony Wayne, representing the United 
States government, and the chiefs and agents of 
the allied Indian tribes of the territory northwest 
of the Ohio river". 

We here repeat, for the better understanding of 
the reader, that the tribes with which the United 
States were connected in this treaty were the Wyan- 
dots, Delawares, Shawnees, Ottawas, Chippewas, 
Pottawattomies, Miamis, Eel Rivers, Weas, Kicka- 
poos, Piankeskas and Kaskaskias. 

All but the last two were in the confederacy 
which carried on the former Indian war against 
the United States which was terminated by the 
treaty of GreeneVille. The Wyandots were admit- 
ted by all the others to be the leading tribe. They 
held the grand calumet, as mentioned above, which 
united them and kindled the council fire. Tar-ke, 
or the Crane, was the Gi'and Sachem of the Wyan- 
dot nation, and had charge of the grand calumet, 
or pipe of peace at the treaty. 

General Wayne on his return from Philadelphia 
arrived at Detroit August 13, 1796, probably by the 
sloop Detroit from Presque Isle, on the present site 
of Erie, Pa. He was received with demonstration 
of great joy by all persons, including the twelve 



122 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

hundred Indians there assembled according to the 
habit formed by the British. Having accepted the 
surrender of the fort from the British, he remained 
at Detroit until November 17, 1796, when he start- 
ed on the return trip to Philadelphia on a small 
sloop. On this voyage over Lake Erie his system 
was much irritated and fatigued by the tossings of 
the storm and the disease, from which he had for 
some time suffered (understood as gout) made 
great progress. It could not be allayed after his 
arrival at Fort Presque Isle, and he died there De- 
cember 15, 1796. At his request he was buried un- 
der the flag staff" of the fort. Subsequently, his son 
Isaac Wayne, accompanied by a few of his old 
friends and neighbors, transferred his bones to the 
place of their nativity in the Radnor churchyard, 
Delaware county, Pennsylvania, where they now lie 
in peace. 

We have no means of knowing what preparation 
General Wayne deemed it necessary to make for his 
transference to the Spirit land. 

"TTiere is no death, what seems so is transition; 
This life of mortal breath 
Is but the suburb of that life Elysian 
Whose portals we call death." 

Atwater, one of the earliest and most truthful 
historians of Ohio, says of General Wayne, "that 
he was a man of most splendid talents, both natural 
and acquired, no one can doubt for a moment 
who reads his history. Every action of his life 
from youth to age shows this fact, and no panegyric 
of ours can render it more plain or make his char- 
acter shine brighter. Political demagogues might 
treat him with contumely and base ingratitude, but 
they cannot obliterate a single syllable which re- 
cords his brilliant actions. His fame will never 
fade but grow more fresh and green to the end of 
time. Every son and daughter of Ohio, Kentucky 
and all of the west will forever cherish in their 
hearts the ever dear memories of Anthony Wayne." 

One hundred and twenty years have passed since 
the day of his death, but the memory of his ser- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 123 

vices for his country and his feats in arms still 
continue to enrich and ennoble true patriotism 
throughout all the land. 

He lives in the recollections of his countrymen to 
lead future patriots and warriors to glorious and 
golden victories. Death has purified his fame and 
placed it beyond the reach of calumny. 

Party politicians, whose meteors may rise and 
fall, flash and expire in a moment; but the sun of 
Wayne's glory will never set in our western horizon 
of the Mississippi's wide valley, until the archan- 
gels' triumph shall call his body from the grave to 
life everlasting. We have paid a just but partial 
tribute to his name by calling numberless counties 
and townships after him throughout the difl'erent 
states of the American union, and especially by 
christening one city of near a hundred thousand 
inhabitants, whose citizens love to cherish and hon- 
or him as a namesake, "Fort Wayne", Indiana. 

General W^ayne, who on his arrival at Presque 
Isle, realized that death was near, though a surgeon 
at Pittsburg had been sent for, called his officers 
around him, gave directions as to his burial and 
proceeded to dispose of his personal eff'ects. 

Among other things he gave to his nephew and 
aide, Captain William Kendall, his spurs, watch and 
chain, and the GreeneVille treaty calumet. These 
priceless relics were handed down through succeed- 
ing generations of the Kendall family, until they 
became the property of Mr. Alva Kendall Overtui'f, 
of Columbus, Ohio, who is a great grandson of the 
recipient. Captain William Kendall. It is with 
great pleasure that we announce that in 1915 this 
noble and patriotic citizen placed these relics in the 
Ohio Museum of the Archaeological and Historical 
Societies, Columbus, 0., as they are without doubt 
some of the most valuable historical relics the 
Museum contains. The calumet, which was prob- 
ably made especially for the GreeneVille Treaty, is 
a unique piece of Indian handicraft. The stem is 
thirty-two and one-half inches long, and is made of 
hand carved birch wood from the northern forests ; 
and the bowl which is seven and one-half inches 



124 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

long is of red catlimite clamped with three lead 
bands. It is curved and ornamented, and the maker 
of it manifested quite a good deal of skill. The 
slight char made in the treaty ceremonial smoke 
still shows in the bowl of the pipe. There is not 
the slightest doubt about the genuineness of this 
relic. It has been handed down from father to son 
with- the true attestation of its identity. 

Prof. Mills has lately placed in the museum a 
photographic copy of the GreeneVille treaty, which 
is still preserved with the records of the State De- 
partment at Washington. They show the signa- 
tures of the great Chiefs whose tribes were parties 
to it, with pictures of animals and birds and the like 
to represent them. 

We are fortunate to secure a halftone of this pipe 
as it is ; on account of its length of bowl and stem 
it presented difficulties to the artist which had to 
be overcome by its reduction in size. 

The Miamis at the time of the treaty had their 
principal settlements on the ' present site of Fort 
Wayne ; at the forks of the Wabash thirty miles 
southwest of the same place; and at another point 
thirty miles still farther down on the Wabash at 
Signal Rock. Sixty miles above Vincennes on the 
Wabash lived the Weas, a separate band of the 
Miamis. Another flourishing village was Little 
Turtle's town on Blue River, the north branch of 
Eel river, twenty miles northwest of Fort Wayne. 
They were undoubtedly the proprietors of all the 
beautiful country which is watered by the Wabash 
and Maumee valleys, and, there is no doubt that 
their claim extended, at least, as far east as the 
Scioto and south to the Ohio river. Whereas, all 
of the neighboring tribes were intruding upon them, 
or had been permitted to settle in their country. 

The Wyandots emigrated first from Lake On- 
tario, and subsequently, from Lake Huron ; the Del- 
awares from Pennsylvania and Maryland ; the Kick- 
apoos and Pottawattomies from the country be- 
tween Lake Michigan and the Mississippi ; and 
the Ottawas and Chippewas from the peninsula 
formed by Lakes Michigan, Huron and St. Clair. 



VII. 

BIRTHPLACE OF LITTLLE TURTLE. 

The village where Little Turtle was born in 1752, 
was located on the north tributary of Eel river, 
twenty miles northwest of Fort Wayne, Whitley 
county, Indiana, on lands now owned by William 
Anderson in Section 9, Smith township. This 
northern tributary is known today as the Blue 
River branch near its junction at Blue River Lake, 
to which it furnishes an outlet only a short distance 
away. 



^ -■■"-"• 




■■P, 


K£%c ■•*' ♦V''*'^ 


t^' ^*^''^-''' ^ '"''■'. ' 








B t" 


1^ 




-^:..-K.:- .-•■"&r<:^m:—--^-:^- 



View of Little Turtle's Village Site at piesent time, where' he was born 
1752, showing a small portion of Blue River Lalse, looking southeast, 
twenty miles northwest of Fort Waj-ne. Taken May 23, 191.J. Leonard 
Young standing in back ground, age six years. 

The village stood on the west side of the river 
on a high sandy point of land surrounded on three 
sides by a great bend in the river. A wide prairie 
marsh skirted these high lands north and south, but 
on the east the high banks were near each other 
making it an easy ford to the north bank of the 
lake only a few hundred yards to the eastward. 
The Blue River Lake covered some five hundred 
acres. Near the foot of the hill immediately to the 

125 



126 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



south a fine spring of water bubbled forth under- 
neath the shade of a beautiful grove of Barrens 
oak trees. A short distance south of the spring, 
nestling in the middle of the prairie, was a small 
lake containing three or four acres and so deep 
that the water looked a dark blue. It was called 
by the Indians Devil's Lake, from the fact that 
something mysterious had appeared in or near it 
entirely unknown to Indian lore during a dusky 
summer evening, at which the Indians became ter- 
ribly frightend and ran all the way to Fort Wayne, 
then a frontier outpost. 







l.-TtuE TuF-TLt'a VILLAGE SITE. ZC HlUES NcRTHWEeTOFFT WAV M E 

Where he was born in 1752 

Many times about 1863, and for a number of 
years later, the writer was on this peculiar ancient 
village site, where Little Turtle was born and where 
he spent nearly all his life. This was about sixteen 
years after the last of the Indians had departed 
leaving the old trails, village and burial sites about 
as they had left them. This spot always seemed to 
me enchanted ground. I have heard the solemn 
bark of the lonesome fox, the weird scream of the 
Canada lynx, also the shrill notes of the great 
northern loon as he floated by high in the clear, blue 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 127 

atmosphere. Along the river banks were Indian 
trails worn several inches deep, which not only spoke 
of primitive, but also of recent times as it was a 
flourishing village in 1812, and possibly was not 
entirely deserted until 1846, at which time the In- 
dians were nearly all removed to the west. 

I often sat under the shade of those oaks and 
elms, walked those paths just as they were left by 
the sad and lonely Miami on his last pilgrimage 
here. 

A catlimite peace pipe was found in 1884, by 
Mrs. Mary (Gross) Boggs on the surface of a nearby 
field. A valuable cache of flint implements was 
ploughed out a short distance down the river a few 
years ago, which fell into the hands of careless par- 
ties, and were soon lost or destroyed. Some very 
fine slate ornaments, tube whistles and similar ob- 
jects were found recently near Coulter lake a mile 
below. 

The site is still uncleared and no doubt contains 
many hidden and curious remains of prehistoric 
times. 

An Indian trail led from this village northwest 
to the Elkhart river; another southeast to the 
Miami villages at the head of the Maumee (now 
Fort Wayne) ; a third southwest down the Eel 
River to the Wabash; a fourth to Tippecanoe lake 
iuA the Kankakee river. 

Many of the sandy plateaus of northern Indiana 
and southern Michigan were covered in primitive 
times by a species of shrub oak, known by the pion- 
eers as the Barrens oak groves. A peculiar fea- 
ture of these oaks was that they would hold their 
dense foliage 'brown and sear throughout the entire 
winter months, thus afi'ording a natural windbreak 
and in connection with the beautiful tamarack ever- 
green groves of northern Indiana and Michigan, 
modifying the most severe winters. This is the 
species of oaks referred to in the vicinity of Little 
Turtle's town and are the kind that shaded the 
crystal spring at the foot of the hill. 

Blue river lake is only a short distance away, 



128 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

being in plain view to the southeast. No doubt 
Little Turtle as a child spent many happy hours 
about this enchanted spot. 

On this account the reader will pardon me if I 
make a slight digression in describing more fully 
the lakes of northern Indiana. We can do no better 
at this point than to quote from Prof. W. S. Blatch- 
ley, State Geologoist of the State of Indiana for a 
number of years, possibly from 1895 to 1906 or 7. 
He says, "Without question the most beautiful 
and picturesque portion of the state of Indiana is 
that found in the lake region". These lakes were 
well known in prehistoric times to those. true chil- 
dren of nature. The Indians who built their wig- 
wams nearby, hunted about the shores and fished 
in the quiet waters. The pioneers were no less ac- 
quainted with them, since it was here that all of the 
birds and animals of the forest came to quench 
their thirst, and the bass and pickerel were always 
waiting for their bait. Today many of these lake 
shores are lined with cottages and tents where the 
busy sons and daughters of the Hoosier State go 
for rest and pleasure during the hot summer weeks. 

The lakes of northern Indiana are the brightest 
gems in the corona of the state. They are the most 
beautiful and expressive features of the landscape 
in the region wherein they abound. Numbered by 
hundreds they range in size from an area of half 
an acre up to five or six square miles. With the 
fertile soil, the great beds of gravel and myriads 
of boulders, large and small, they are to be classed 
as mementoes of the mighty ice sheets which in the 
misty past covered the northern two-thirds of the 
state. 

Outside of the counties in w^hich they occur, but 
few of the citizens of Indiana know of their pres- 
ence, their beauty and their value. Their origin 
fauna and flora, the cause of their diminution in 
size, and final extinction are likewise known by but 
few. 

By the red man these lakes were more highly 
appreciated than by his more civilized Caucasian 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 129 

successor, for the reason that the Indian stood much 
nearer to wild nature than we. 

On the highest ridges overlooking these lakes he 
had his village sites. Over their placid waters he 
paddled his birchbark canoe, and from their depths 
he secured with hook and spear, fishes sufficient to 
supply his needs while mussels and the roots of 
the water lilies added variety to his daily food. The 
fowls by myriads in their migrating season came 
and went, stopping to feed upon the lakes, thus 
offering the red hunter many a chance to test his 
markmanship with bow and arrow, while the skins 
of the muskrat, otter and beaver, which he trapped 




This view taken August, 1914 of Blue River Lake, Smith Township, 
Whitley County. Indiana, looking northwest, showing Little Turtle's 
Village Site in the distance. 

about their marshy margins, furnished him protec- 
tion against the cold. 

Thus it will be seen that his very existence de- 
pended ofttimes upon these living bodies of water. 
It is little wonder therefore, that he remained in 
their vicinitj^ until driven westward by the conquer- 
ing white man, leaving only the signs of his feasts, 
vast piles of shells, bones and pit ovens, as remind- 
ers of his former presence and glory. 

Blue river lake lies two miles northwest of Chur- 
ubusco, and is in Sections 9, 10, 15 and 16, Smith 
township, Whitley county, Indiana. It is oblong in 
shape, narrower at the eastern end and is about one 



130 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

and one-quarter miles long by one-half mile in aver- 
age width. It has an area of some 500 acres and 
a very uniform depth of 40 to 60 feet. 

The area of shallow water is of medium width, 
rather broad on the east, south and west sides and 
narrower on the north. The shore at most points 
is rather abrupt, the surrounding country being of 
a rolling type. 

Blue river heads in Green township, Noble county, 
from a chain of small lakes that range across the 
north side of the township, including Sand, Long, 
Rock and Bowen lakes. It finally empties into Blue 
river lake for a few rods only on the west end, and 
then takes a southwest course by Columbia city 
and a few miles below empties into Eel river. This 
lake thus receives its waters from upper Blue river, 
and from springs along its sides and bottom. It is 
well stocked with food fishes. 

Dr. Dryer speaks of the midsummer vegetation 
about the shores of this lake, as follows: "Aquatic 
vegetation in great variety and profusion furnished 
a botanists' paradise. There are pond weeds, water 
shield, bladder wort, yellow pond lilies, duck weed, 
cat-tail, pickerel weed, smart weed and numerous 
other varieties. 

"This lake is the only locality in northeastern In- 
diana known to the writer, where the famous and 
splendid American lotus occurs. Here it is as abun- 
dant as the white water lily. Its flowers are diffi- 
cult to procure because they are gathered by numer- 
ous visitors as fast as they open. With their leaves 
rolled up and rocking like a boat or expanded into 
an orbicular shield twenty or thirty inches in diam- 
eter and flapping in the wind, they present an in- 
teresting and attractive sight. The water in Blue 
river lake in midsummer has an appearance of 
muddy coffee and through the whole season teems 
with plant and animal life." 

Such a lake as this would repay a thorough and 
prolonged biological examination and would fur- 
nish the naturalist with material enough for several 
years' study. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 131 

Tippecanoe lake, the head of Tippecanoe river, 
lays to the westward about sixteen miles and 
reaches the remarkable depth of one hundred and 
twenty-five feet. 

It seems that nature provided here with a lavish 
hand, an ideal home for the Red Man. The soil was 
productive for Indian corn and the writer saw the 
old Indian fields red with strawberries in June. 
Wild grapes, wild plums, hazel nuts, acorns, and 
wild berries of all kinds grew nearby in abundance. 
There were red deer, wild turkeys, prairie chickens 
and pheasants, river and lakes teeming with fish 
and over all a scenic beauty that the poet with his 
pen could not describe, nor the artist with his brush 
portray. 

I distinctly remember the strong temptation to 
recline on the grassy hillside near Little Turtle's 
town and the losing of myself in silent contempla- 
tion. Soul melting scenes were about me. A place 
where the mind could speak volumes, but the tongue 
must be silent, that would speak, and the hand pal- 
sied that would write. A place where a divine 
might confess that he never had fancied paradise 
thus, where the painter's palette would lose its 
beautiful tints. The blood-stirring notes of elo- 
quence would die in their uttering, and even the 
soft tones of sweet music would scarcely preserve 
a spark to light the soul again that had passed this 
sweet delirium. I mean the forest, the lake, the 
prairie at sunset, when all of these are turned into 
gold, and their long shadows of melancholy are 
thrown over the scene. When the breathings of 
day are hushed and naught but the soft notes of 
the wolf, who breaks through these scenes of en- 
chantment, and mournfully howls as if lonesome and 
lost. 

The Indian trail and desolate village and the 
fountain at the foot of the hill can now scarcely be 
found. All the beauty and poetry of Indian lore, 
it seems were represented here as the floating 
clouds of summer long ago drifted over the deep 



132 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

blue sky. Such was the birthplace and home of 
Little Turtle, the great Miami Chieftain. 

"Did we not own this glorious land 
Each mountain, lake and river 
Were they not from Thy sacred hand 
Our heritage forever? 

"Where tombs arise and harvests wave 
Our children used to stray 
We cannot find our fathers' graves 
Our fathers, where are they? 

"Like snow before the fiery glance 
Like dew in the garment's ray 
Like bubbles that on the ocean dance 
Our tribes are swept away." 

— Anonymous. 

In order to confirm our claim concerning the loca- 
tion of Little Turtle's town we refer the reader to 
the following authorities: The hand book of the 
North American Indians; Bulletin 30, vol. 1, page 
771, published by the Bureau of American Ethnol- 
ogy, Washington, D. C; Dillon's "History of the 
State of Indiana", page 195 ; also Brice's "History 
of Fort Wayne", published in 1868, page 227. 

A little over two months after (Me-she-kin-no- 
quah's) or Little Turtle's death, which occurred at 
Fort Wayne, July 14, 1812, General Harrison or- 
dered Colonel Simrall on September 17th following 
to destroy Little Turtle's town twenty miles north- 
west of Fort Wayne, but not to destroy the house 
built by the government for him. This dwelling 
consisted of a substantial log house about eighteen 
by twenty feet square. Those Indian trails, wild 
bee trees, beaver dams, and above all the countless 
swarms of the wild pigeons, will never be forgotten 
by the writer, who as a boy visited this enchanted 
site over half a century ago. 

The early settlers and trappers at that time, when 
the Indians were still present, fully corroborated 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 133 

the above statements. An especially good witness 
was Mr. Robert Walburn, an old trapper and hunt- 
er, who in 1870 killed the last red deer known to 
run wild in Whitley county. This gentleman, near- 
ly a life long citizen of Whitley county, died in old 
age in the year 1900. He came to this neighbor- 
hood when quite a young man from Champaign 
county, Ohio, and gave the writer much of the above 
stated facts. 

One of the first settlers of Smith township, Whit- 
ley county, was one Mr. Martin, who arrived with 
his family about 1840, and settled on a piece of wild 
land in section 18. His cabin stood within two or 
three miles of this village. He had a son Hiram, 
who several times narrowly escaped from the 
wolves. The writer knew this young man after he 
had reached middle life and worked for him by the 
month on the old farm that he inherited from his 
father, and enjoyed many interesting talks with 
him about the wild animals and Indians who were 
still there in his boyhood days. His memory was 
very clear and accurate concerning the old village, 

The main branch of Eel river is crossed by the 
old Indian trail (now the Goshen state road), only 
eleven miles northwest of Fort Wayne. This could 
not have been the stream on which this village was 
located as that stream was twenty miles from old 
Fort Wayne, or nine miles beyond the above point, 
or on the west bank of Blue river near the west 
end of Blue river lake, and immediately north of 
what is known today as the Little Devil lake. 

One of the last remnants of the Miami tribe spok- 
en of by the early pioneers of Whitley county were 
settled in a small village on the eastern bank of 
Round lake, on or near the identical spot now occu- 
pied as a burial place for the white man's dead, 
known as the Round lake cemetery, some three 
miles west of the Little Turtle village. Here, in 
1846 or 1847, they spent their last summer fishing 
and hunting and continually calling at the cabin 
door of the early settler begging him to share with 
them the common necessaries of life. 



134 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

Mrs. Diana Leach, a daughter of a pioneer and 
sister to the Mr. Hiram Martin mentioned above, 
remembered well the time, and would often rehearse 
in later days about a number of the pioneer set- 
tlers, her father included, who met on a certain day 
and called in a body on those Indians at this village 
and informed them that their presence there was no 
longer desired, and that they would have to seek 
a home somewhere else. They shortly disappeared, 
never to return. The writer several years after- 
ward lived on a lease taken by one Mr. John Powles, 
in which he had agreed to clear forty acres of this 
land for all he raised for a term of years. Several 
one-half ounce leaden bullets and other things were 
picked up near this locality. My visit here a 
short time since can best be described in the words 
of the unknown poet: 

"Is it changed or am I changed? 

Ah the oaks are just as green 
But the friends with whom I roamed 

Beneath their thickets are estranged 
By the years that intervene. 

"Bright as ever flows the stream; 
Bright as ever shines the sun 
But, alas ; it seems to me 

Not the stream it used to be 
Not the sun that used to shine." 

Anonymous. 



VIII. 
A CHARACTER SKETCH. 

No section of our country ever produced greater 
Indians than Pontiac, Little Turtle and Tecumseh. 
No part of America is richer in tragedy, romance 
and pathos or Indian lore than the region included 
in the old Territory Northwest of the Ohio river. 
Here was the empire of the Algonquin tribes, ex- 
tending far into British America, from whence they 
had come. 

As Professor Cyrus Thomas tells us, "the initial 
point of the Algonquin movement appears, from a 
thorough examination of the subject, to have been 
in the area north and northwest of Lake Superior. 
The stream of emigration to the southward crossed 
to the south side of the lakes in the region of Mich- 
ilmackinac entering the southern Michigan penin- 
sula. Here, after a long halt, they divided, a part, 
probably the Shawnees, going south; another, pos- 
sibly the Miamis, remaining in southern Michigan; 
the rest, the Delawares, Nanticokes and others 
moving onward toward the Atlantic coast." 

We have mentioned each successive Miami Chief, 
from the time of their first contact with the whites, 
until the last Chief had passed away. We here 
recall the name of each, as it appeared in point of 
time from the first to the last: 

First, Aque-nook-quah ; second, Me-she-kin-no- 
quah (Little Turtle) ; third, Pechon or (Lagrisse) ; 
fourth, Pe-she-Wah or (Richardville) ; fifth, To-pe- 
ah or (Francis LaFontaine) ; sixth and last, Jos- 
eph LaFontaine Engleman, who died in 1914. 

Pontiac was assassinated in 1767, at a great Indian 
council of the Illinois, at St. Louis. He had just 
finished a war speech wherein he favored the con- 
tinuance of war against the English. An Indian 
of the Peoria tribe was present as a spy to report 
the proceedings of this council to the English. This 

135 



136 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

Indian, at the close of the speech plunged his knife 
in his heart and the great Chieftain fell dead upon 
the spot. Neither mound or tablet marked the bur- 
ial place of Pontiac. But for a mausoleum a city 
has risen above the forest hero, and the race whom 
he hated with such burning rancor, trample with 
burning footsteps over his forgotten grave, 

Tecumseh was killed in the battle of the Thames, 
October 5, 1813, at the head of twenty-five hundred 
(2,500) Indian allies. Mr. Caleb Atwater tells us 
that he fell on the very first fire of the Kentucky 
dragoons, pierced by several bullets. 

Thus both of them died a violent death ; one while 
engaged in stirring up strife, turmoil and war, the 
other in battle in a terrific assault against his in- 
veterate enemies, the Americans. Both died with 
enmity and vengeance against the pale face. 

Not so with Little Turtle. After a comparative 
study of this last great trio of the forest kings, 
we are convinced that Little Turtle had a wider con- 
ception of the future welfare and well being of his 
race than either of the other two chieftains, and in 
contrast with them died in peace and friendship 
with the Americans and was laid to rest by them 
beside the peaceful waters of the river St. Joseph. 

When we consider the time, place and circum- 
stances of his birth we are not surprised to hear 
*that such conditions produced a character like his. 
The French and Indian War, in which his fathe ■ 
probably tok part as an ally of the French, was 
just closing and was soon to be followed by the war 
of the Revolution in the East. While the seat of 
conflict was somewhat isolated the whole lake coun- 
try was disturbed by the occasional news brought in 
by the French and English traders, and we can 
readily see that Little Turtle eagerly imbibed the 
stories of conflict and conquest rehearsed around 
the campfire. From the brief sketch of Miami his- 
tory we can readily estimate the virtues inherited 
from his father. As his mother was a Mohegan 
(Mohican), Little Turtle was classed by Indian 
custom as belonging to this historic tribe. The 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 137 

Mohegans were a warlike tribe, who at an early 
date, inhabited Connecticut and part of New York 
lying east of the upper Hudson river. They are 
classified as belonging to the Delaware branch of 
the Algonquin stock. During the French and In- 
dian War they fought with the English against the 
French ; and during the Revolution they espoused 
the cause of the colonists against the English. On 
account of their warlike propensities they became 
divided and scattered and almost exterminated. At 
the advent of the Pilgrims their warriors were de- 
scribed as courageous and possessed of a fine and 
noble bearing. The inroads of their nearest west- 
ern neighbors, the Mohawks, and the encroach- 
ments of the English colonists forced them to sell 
their territory piecemeal, and, about 1730, a large 
body of them emigrated to the Susquehanna river 
and settled near Wyorning, Pa., in the vicinity of the 
Delawares and Munsees,with whom they later moved 
to the Ohio region. However, as early as 1721, a band 
of the Mohicans found their way to Indiana, where 
they located a village on the Kankakee river, in 
which Little Turtle's mother was born and reared. 
In later days remnants of this tribe settled at 
Green Bay, Wisconsin and in Kansas. It is said 
that the government of the Mohicans was demo- 
cratic, but this does not conform to the statement 
that the office of Chief Sachem was hereditary by 
the lineage of the wife of the Sachem. According 
to Ruttenber the Sachem was assisted by council- 
lors, and also by one hero, one owl, and one runner. 
The other males were called young men or war- 
riors. The Sachem, or more properly, King, re- 
mained at all times Math his tribe and consulted 
their welfare. He had charge of the umoti, or bag 
of peace, which contained the belts and strings used 
to establish peace and friendship with different 
nations and concluded all treaties on behalf of his 
people. The councilors were elected and were called 
Chiefs. Their business was to consult with their 
Sachem in promoting the peace and happiness of 
their people. The title of hero was gotten only by 



138 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

courage and prudence in war. When a war alli- 
ance was asked, or cause for war existed with an- 
other tribe the Sachem and the councilors consult- 
ed, and if they concluded to take up their hatchet, 
the matter was put in the hands of the heroes for 
execution. When peace was proposed, the heroes 
put the negotiations in the hands of the Sachem 
and councilors. The office of owl was also one of 
merit, the bearer of this title must have a strong 
memory and must be a good speaker. His business 
was to sit beside his Sachem and proclaim his or- 
ders to the people with a loud voice and also to get 
up every morning as soon as daylight and arouse 
the people and order them to their daily duties. 
The business of runner was to carry messages and 
to convene councils. 

Th-e Mohicans were generally well built. As fight- 
ing men they were perfidious, accomplishing their 
designs by treachery, using strategem to deceive 
their enemies and making their most hazardous at- 
tacks under cover of darkness. The women orna- 
mented themselves more than the men. All wore 
around the waist a girdle made of fin of the whale 
or sewant. The men originally wore a breach cloth 
made of skins, but after the Dutch came those who 
could obtain it wore between their legs a lap of duf- 
fels cloth half an ell broad and nine quarters long, 
which they girded around their waists and drew up 
in a fold with a flap of each end hanging down in 
front and rear. In addition to this they had man- 
tles of feathers and at a later period decked them- 
selves with plaid duffels cloth in the form of a sash, 
which was worn over the right shoulder drawn in a 
knot around the body with the ends extending down 
below the knees. When the young men wished to 
look especially attractive they wore a band about 
their heads, manufactured and braided with scar- 
let deer hair interwoven with soft shining red hair. 

According to Vander Donck, the women wore a 
cloth around their bodies fastened by a girdle which 
extended below the knees, but next to the body 
under this coat they used a dressed deerskin coat 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 139 

girt around the waist. The lower part of this skirt 
they ornamented with stripes tastefully decorated 
with wampum, which was frequently worth with 
from one hundred to three hundred guilders ($40 
to $120). They bound their hair behind in a club 
about a hand long in the form of a beaver's tail, 
over which they drew a square wampum ornament- 
ed cap; and when they desired to be fine they drew 
around the forehead a band also ornamented with 
wampum, which was fastened behind in a knot. 
Around their necks they hung various ornaments. 
They also wore bracelets, curiously wrought and 
interwoven with wampum. 

Poligamy was practiced to some extent, though 
mostly by the Chiefs. Maidens were allowed to sig- 
nify their desire to enter matrimonial life, upon 
which a marriage would be formally arranged; 
widows and widowers were left to their own inclin- 
ations. 

In addition to the usual manifestations of grief 
at the death of a relative or friend they cut off their 
hair and burned it on the grave. Their dead were 
usually interred in a sitting posture. It was usual 
to place by the side of the body a pot, kettle, platter, 
spoon, and provisions ; wood was then placed around 
the body and the M^hole was covered with earth and 
stones outside of which pickets were erected, so that 
the tomb resembled a little house. Their houses 
were of the communal sort and differed usually only 
in length ; they were formed by long slender hickory 
saplings set in the ground in a straight line in two 
rows. The poles were then bent toward each other 
in the form of an arch, and secured together at the 
top giving the appearance of a garden arbor; the 
sides and roof were then lathed with split poles and 
over this bark was lapped and fastened by withes 
to the lathing. A smoke hole was left in the roof 
and a single doorway was provided. These houses 
rarely exceeded twenty feet in width, but they were 
sometimes one hundred and eighty feet long. Their 
so-called castles were strong, firm structures and 
were situated usually on a steep, high, flat-topped 
hill near a stream. The tip of the hill was inclosed 



140 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

with a strong stockade having- large logs for a 
foundation on both sides of which oak posts form- 
ing a pallisade were set in the ground, the upper 
ends being crossed and joined together. Inside the 
walls in such iiiclosures frequently were twenty or 
thirty houses. Beside their strongholds they had 
villages and towns, which were inclosed or stock- 
aded and which usually had woodland on one side 
and corn fields on the other. Their religious beliefs 
were substantially the same as those of the New 
England Indians. 

Barton gives the Mohicans three clans. Bear, 
Wolf and Turtle". 

"Is not the red man's wigwam home 

As dear to him as costly dome? 
Is not his loved one's smile as bright 

As the dear ones of the men that's white ? 
Freedom — this self same freedom you adore 
Bids him defend his violated shore." 

As Little Turtle, according to Indian custom, 
probably received no advantage from his father's 
rank, he was not a Chief by descent. However, 
great and active minds cannot remain at rest, and 
his talents having attracted the notice of his fellow 
tribesmen, he was made Chief of the Miamis while 
a comparatively young man. 

It has been said that the Sun of Indian glory set 
with Little Turtle, and when Pontiac and Tecumseh 
passed away, the clouds and shadows gathered 
around their race in the starless night of death. 
He was the noblest Roman of them all, for like 
Pontiac thirty years before, he was the soul of fire. 

Everyone who reads these pages, and the final 
Treaty of GreeneVille; and of his upright walk in 
later years, even to the day of his death, will be 
impressed with his high courage and the manly 
stand which he took for his race, and the hunting 
grounds of his fathers. 

Little Turtle was more of a traveler than gener- 
ally believed. He was well acquainted at Detroit 
Montreal and Quebec; was quite a sojourner at Chi- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 141 

cago and the northwest; had been to Louisiana and 
several times to Philadelphia and Washington City ; 
and it is said, far to the south. It is claimed he 
received a slight education from the priests in Can- 
ada. No wonder that he became a rounded diplo- 
mat and a polished gentleman. 

There seems to be conflicting statements in re- 
gard to Little Turtle's height. Mr. J. P. Dunn, a 
noted authority. Secretary of Indiana Historical 
Society, in his "True Indian Stories" published in 
1909, says, "that he was small in stature". His 
authority on this subject is based on the statement 
of Kil-so-quah alone, a granddaughter of the fam- 
ous chief, who died in 1915, at one hundred and 
five years of age, and who was a child a little over 
two years old at the time of her grandfather's death 
July 14, 1812. While upon the other hand, John A. 
McLung, in his sketches of "Western Adventure", 
published in 1836, at Dayton, Ohio, on page 262, 
says, "The leader of the Indian army at the time of 
St. Clair's defeat was a Chief of the Missassago 
tribe, known by the name of Little Turtle. Not- 
withstanding his name, he was at least six feet tall. 
His aspect was harsh, sour and forbidding, and his 
person during the action was arrayed in the very 
extremity of Indian finery, having at least twenty 
dollars' worth of silver depending from his nose 
and ears". McLung here makes a positive state- 
ment of his height and general aspect during the 
battle, no doubt, from the lips of those men still 
living at the time the book was written, who were 
eye witnesses at the time of the battle. 

Samuel C. Drake in his "Aboriginal Races of 
North America", page 575, published about 1838, 
says that in his time he was generally styled the 
Missassago Chief, and that his village was twenty 
miles northwest of Fort Wayne; that a gentleman 
who saw him after St. Clair's defeat at Montreal 
says, "He was six feet high, of a very sour and 
morose countenance and apparently very crafty and 
subtle". 

His dress consisted of moccasins, a blue petticoat 
that came half way down his thighs, and an Euro- 



142 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF " 

pean waistcoat and curtout. His head was bound 
with an Indian cap that hung half way down his 
back and was almost entirely filled with plain silver 
brooches to the number of more than two hundred. 
He had two ear rings to each ear, the upper part of 
each being formed of three silver medals about the 
size of a dollar, the lower part of quarters of dol- 
lars, which extended more than twelve inches from 
his ears ; one over his breast and the other over his 
back. He also had three very large nose jewels of 
silver that were curiously painted. 

The witness who gave this account said this Chief 
was in Canada for the purpose of raising all the 
Indian force he could to go out again in the spring 
against the whites. 

Here we have the testimony of two competent 
witnesses, McLung and Drake, as to Little Turtle's 
height, dress and general appearance which prac- 
tically agrees as to his appearance when he was yet 
comparatively a young man. 

In Vol. 2, of Henry Howe's "Historical Collec- 
tions of Ohio", page 226, we have the story of the 
battle at the head of the Wabash, November 4, 1791, 
by Major Jacob Fowler, who was present on that 
occasion. Also on page 228, of same work by a Mr. 
McDowell, both of whom were still living in 1846, 
one at Covington, Ky., the other at or near the vil- 
lage of Fort Recovery. This was ten years after 
Drake and McLung had written the above state- 
ments in regard to Chief Little Turtle and his phy- 
sical makeup, and consequently must be a true nar- 
rative of facts as they remain unrefuted by the par- 
ticipants in that battle, as well as by all of the early 
authorities. 

Again we have Little Turtle's picture in a paint- 
ing by an officer in Wayne's legion. This painting 
was presented to the Chicago Historical Society by 
Mr. LaVerne Noyes in 1914. It shows him stand- 
ing in the midst of a group of white officials and 
Indian Chiefs, in which he is the principal spokes- 
man, and represents him to be as tall as the tallest 
man in the entire group. We herewith present a 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 143 

photograph from the original painting. On anoth- 
er page is shown a cut of this distinguished war- 
rior taken from a painting burned in Washington 
in the War of 1812. It was always considered a 
very good and correct picture of him. These two 
pictures show a very marked similarity. The aqui- 
line nose, piercing eyes, high cheek bones, peaked 
chin and head dress all bear a striking similarity in 
both, and impress one as being of the same man. 
The headdress, the earrings, the features in both 
leave no doubt as to the identity of Little Turtle 
in the GreeneVille painting. 

This Chieftain attained the zenith of his military 
glory at the time of St. Clair's defeat, and the zen- 
ith of his statecraft and diplomacy at the Treaty of 
GreeneVille. And a lover and benefactor of his 
race to the day of his death he was never equalled 
by any Indian that roamed the forests. 

The Aboit river massacre; the humiliation of 
Gen. Harmar, and his return to Fort Washington; 
and the final defeat of St. Clair's army on the Wa- 
bash November 4, 1791, all added to the luster of 
his name and when the inevitable came and his 
power was broken at the battle of the Fallen Tim- 
bers, like the true philosopher that he was, he real- 
ized that further resistance to the white man would 
be unavailing, and signed the Treaty of Greene- 
Ville. 

All of his subsequent life was interwoven with 
the golden deeds of friendship and good will toward 
all mankind, both white and red. 

The temporary success of the Indians in several 
engagements previous to the campaign of General 
Wayne had kept alive their expiring hopes. But 
their signal defeat by that gallant officer convinced 
the more reflecting of their leaders of the desperate 
character of the conflict. 

After the Treaty of GreeneVille, he continued 
faithful to its stipulations the remainder of his life. 
From that day he ceased to be the enemy of the 
white man, and, as he was not one who could act a 
negative part, he became the firm ally and friend of 



144 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

those against whom his tomahawk had been so long- 
raised in vindictive animosity. He was their friend 
not from sympathy, or conviction but in obedience 
to a necessity which left no middle course and under 
a belief that submission alone could save his tribe 
from destruction; and having adopted this policy, 
his sagacity and sense of honor alike forbade a 
recurrence either to open war or secret hostility. 
He was the principal Chief of the Miami nation, 
and possessed all the influence and authority which 
are usually attached to that office at the period when 
Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, commenced 
hostilities against the United States. 

When Tecumseh and the Prophet embarked in 
their scheme for the recovery of the lands as far 
south as the Ohio river it became their interest as 
well as policy to enlist Little Turtle in the enter- 
prise, and every effort which the genius of the one 
and the cunning of the other could devise was 
brought to bear upon him. But he remained faith- 
ful to the Treaty he had signed at Fort GreeneVille. 

When twenty-four years of age, we hear of him 
with Burgoyne advancing from the north in his dis- 
astrous campaign against Saratoga where he finally 
surrendered to General Gates, October 17, 1777. 

In this brief sketch it has been difficult to depict 
in suitable language the noble attributes of charac- 
ter, the sterling qualities of body, mind and soul 
which Little Turtle possessed to a marked degree. 
May peace be to his ashes, and may his spirit dwell 
in the happy hunting grounds of the Indian race 
forever. 

" 'Tis weary watching wave by wave 
And yet the tide heaves onward 
We climb like corals grave by grave 
But pave a path that's sunward. 

"We've beaten back in many a fray 
But newer strength we borrow; 
And where the vanguard camps today 
The rear shall rest tomorrow." 
— Anonymous. 



IX. 

NOTES AND ANECDOTES. 

After the Treaty of GreeneVille, Little Turtle 
remained the true and faithful friend of the Amer- 
icans and the new government, and was much be- 
loved and respected by those who knew him. 

Tecumseh strove hard to gain his confidence and 
aid in his final determined struggle against the 
white man a few years later, but all to no avail, 
for nothing could move him from his set purpose 
of peace and good will toward the Americans. 

Early in 1797, accompanied by Captain Wells, his 
son-in-law. Little Turtle visited President Washing- 
ton at Philadelphia, where he met the philosopher 
and famous traveler Volney, who was then in 
America, who sought immediate acquaintance with 
the celebrated Chief for highly valuable purposes 
which in some measure he affected. He made a 
vocabulary of his language, which he printed in the 
appendix to his travels. A copy in manuscript 
more extensive than the printed one is said to be in 
the library of the Philosophical Society of Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Having become convinced that all resistance to the 
whites was in vain, Little Turtle brought his nation 
to consent to peace and recommended them to adopt 
agricultural pursuits. And it was with the view 
of soliciting Congress and the benevolent Society 
of Friends for assistance to effect this latter pur- 
pose that he now visited Philadelphia. While here 
he was inoculated for the small-pox and was also 
afflicted with the gout and I'heumatism. 

At the time of Mr. Volney's interview with him 
for information he took no notice of the conversa- 
tion while the interpreter was communicating with 
]\Ir. Volney, for he did not understand English, but 
walked about plucking out his beard and eyebrows. 

145 



146 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

He was dressed now in English clothes. His skin 
where not exposed Mr. Volney says, was as white 
as his, and on speaking upon the subject Little Tur- 
tle said, "I have seen Spaniards in Louisiana, and 
found no difference in color between them and me. 
And why should there be any? In them as in us, 
it is the work of the father of colors, the sun that 
burns us. Your white people compare the color of 
your face with that of your bodies". 

Mr. Volney explained to him the notion of many, 
that his race had descended from the Tartar's and 
by a map showed him the supposed communication 
between Asia and America. To this Little Turtle 
replied, "Why should not these Tartars who resem- 
ble us have come from America? Are there any 
reasons to the contrary, or why should we not both 
have been born in our own country?" It is a fact 
that the Indians accepted the name indigenous that 
is one springing from the soil or natured to it. 

When Mr. Volney asked Little Turtle what pre- 
vented him from living among the whites, and if he 
were not more comfortable in Philadelphia than 
upon the banks of the Wabash, he said, "Taking 
all things together, you have the advantage over us, 
but here I am deaf and dumb. I do not talk your 
language ; I can neither hear nor make myself heard. 
When I walk through the streets I see every person 
in his shop employed about something; one makes 
shoes ; another hats, a third sells cloth and everyone 
lives by his labor. I say to myself which of all of 
these things can you do? Not one. I can make a 
bow and arrow, catch fish, kill game and go to war, 
but none of these are of any use here. To learn 
what is done here would require a long time. Old 
age comes on. I should be a piece of furniture use- 
less to my nation, useless to the whites and useless 
to myself. I must return to my own country". 

At the same time among other eminent person- 
ages to whom this Chief became attached in Phil- 
adelphia, was the renowned Kosciusko. This old 
Polish Chief was so well pleased with Little Turtle 
tliat when the latter went to take his final leave of 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 147 

him he presented Little Turtle with a favorite brace 
of pistols, saying- to him : "These pistols I have car- 
ried and used on many a hard fought battlefield in 
defense of the oppressed, the weak, the wronged of 
my own race, I now present them to you with the 
injunction that with them you shoot dead the first 
man who ever comes to subjugate you or to despoil 
you of your country". 

Whereupon, it is said, that Little Turtle walked 
back and forth across the room much agitated, final- 
ly dropping the remark in an undertone, "Let that 
woman yet beware" (meaning Queen Catherine of 
Russia). Then in speaking to Kosciusko said, "you 
might have succeeded better in a love affair with 
her, especially, if she was handsome". 

On this same occasion Kosciusco also presented 
him with an elegant robe made of sea otter skin 
of the value of several hundred dollars, and with 
a magnificent sword much to the delight of this 
famous Chieftain. 

Mr. Dawson relates a pleasant anecdote of Little 
Turtle which happened while he was sitting for his 
portrait in Philadelphia. A native of the Emerald 
Isle, who prided himself upon his ability at joking 
was sitting for his portrait at the same time. Lit- 
tle Turtle was also an adept in the art of joking, 
and they passed several meetings pleasantly twit- 
ting each other. One morning Little Turtle did not 
take much notice of his friend, but seemed rather 
sedate, which was construed by the Hibernian as 
an acknowledgment of victory on the part of the 
Chief in their joking game, and accordingly he be- 
gan to intimate as much. When Little Turtle un- 
derstood him. he said to the interpreter, "He mis- 
takes ; I was just thinking of proposing to this man 
to paint us both on one board and there I would 
stand face to face with him and blackguard him 
eternally". 

It is believed that this Chief had received some 
education in Canada, and until the Treaty of 
GreeneVille, was attached to British interests, 
which interests seemed to find gratification in cul- 



148 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

tivating in the savages a hatred of the Americans. 
John Johnston, of Piqua, Ohio, who was well ac- 
quainted with Little Turtle, said of this celebrated 
orator and Chief, "that he was a man of great wit, 
humor and vivacity, fond of the company of gen- 
tlemen, and delighted in good eating. When I knew 
him, he had two wives living with him, under the 
same roof, in the greatest harmony. 

Mrs. Callis, daughter of Judge Jouett, tells us 
that her mother often spoke of the Chief, for whose 
oratorical powers she had great admiration. She 
particularly referred to a speech of that chief which 
she heard delivered at a council held at Chicago. 
A sentence of that speech is remembered ; speaking 
of an enemy upon which he (Little Turtle) had 
taken deadly vengeance, he said, "We met ; I cut him 
down ; and his shade, as it passes on the wind, 
shuns my walk" ! 

Little Turtle, who had somewhat of a remarkable 
mind and was for a number of years the leading 
spirit among the Miamis, was surpassed for bravery 
and intelligence, perhaps by none of his race. He was 
of an inquiring turn of mind and never lost an op- 
portunity to gain some valuable information upon 
almost every subject or object that attracted his at- 
tention. He sought by every means in his power 
during the latter days of his life to relieve his peo- 
ple from every debasing habit, encouraging them 
only in the more sober and industrious relations of 
life. 

Each evening he is said to have called the chil- 
dren of the village together, telling them an amus- 
ing story and giving them a short lecture abound- 
ing in good advice, to learn to be industrious and to 
shun strong drink. 

It is said of Little Turtle, that he never was in- 
toxicated, and did all in his power to keep his people 
from strong drink. He urged the Indians to avoid 
it by word and example, and gained the rare dis- 
tinction of securing the first prohibition law against 
the liquor traflic ever enacted by the United States 
government. He visited the legislatures of Ohio 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 149 

and Kentucky, as well as Congress, and begged for 
the prohibition of intoxicating liquors among the 
Indians. 

In a speech which was taken down in shorthand 
at the time he denounced drink as a ruinous evil 
that destroyed great numbers of his tribesman's 
lives ; that caused the young men to say, "We had 
better be at war with the white people, for this 
liquor that they introduce into our country is more 
to be feared than the gun and tomahawk, 

"More of us have died since the Treaty of Greene- 
Ville, than we lost by the years of war before, and it 
is all owing to the introduction of this liquor among 
us." 

In 1798, he traveled from his home in Indiana to 
Philadelphia to plead with President John Adams 
for protection for the Indians against the whiskey 
traffic, telling him that liquor had destroyed three 
thousand Indians alone during the preceding year. 
However, he failed to secure any results at this 
time. In 1801, he again visited the east and inter- 
ested the Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends in 
behalf of his cause. The meeting appointed a com- 
mittee to go with him to Washington to present the 
matter to President Jefferson. The President 
looked into the subject and sent a special message 
(the first of the kind ever given) to Congress, em- 
730wering the President to take steps to eliminate 
the traffic from the Indian country. Thus Little 
Turtle is the real father of the first prohibition law 
ever enacted in this country. 

In 1803, Little Turtle for the Miamis, and Five 
Medals for the Pottawattomies, joined in a letter 
to the Friends at Baltimore, in which they expressed 
their pleasure, that the President had prevented the 
traders from selling liquor to their people ; and ex- 
pressing their fears that he might again permit the 
traffic to return to them. Adding, that if he does 
our red brethren are lost forever. But at the same 
time expressing the hope that the Great Spirit will 
change the minds of our people and tell them that 



150 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

it will be better for them to cultivate the earth 
than to drink whiskey. 

The following year 1804, a delegation from the 
Baltimore Yearly Meeting was sent to Fort Wayne, 
on a mission of amelioration to the Indians, and 
there to meet both of these Chiefs. 

Little Turtle was then but half well, as he said. 
His complaint was then as usual the gout, and on 
the interpreter telling him his complaint was one 
that belonged to great folks and gentlemen, he said, 
"I always thought that I was a gentleman". 

At the general council called to meet this dele- 
gation which assembled at Fort Wayne, April 10, 
1804, the subject of teaching agriculture to the 
Indians was the principal theme of discussion. Lit- 
tle Turtle expressed regret that his people had not 
accepted the idea of cultivating their lands, much as 
he had tried to convince them of its necessity, and 
his hope that the words of the Friends might turn 
their minds. As an indication of the sagacity and 
eloquence of Little Turtle his speech in reply to the 
Quakers on this occasion is quoted in part herewith : 

Speech of Little Turtle in Reply to an Address from 
the Quakers, George Elliott and Gerard T. Hopkins. 

"Brothers : It appears to me necessary that I 
should give you an immediate answer, as you are 
about to return to your families from whence you 
came. 

"Brothers and Friends : We are all pleased to 
see you here, and to take our Brothers, the Quakers, 
through you, by the hand. We rejoice that the 
Great Spirit has appointed that we should this day 
meet, for we believe this meeting will be of the ut- 
most consequence to your red brethren. 

"Brothers: What you have said we have care- 
fully gathered up ; we have placed it in our hearts, 
in order that it may be communicated to our pos- 
terity. We are convinced that what you have said 
is for the good of your red brethren. We are also 
convinced that our chiefs and warriors, our women 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 151 

and children, will be all of our opinion, and will be 
glad when they hear what you have said. 

"Brothers: We take you by the hand, and 
through you take the people who sent you, by the 
hand, and assure you that we are pleased that the 
Great Spirit has let us see each other, and con- 
verse together upon the subjects that have been 
communicated to us. 

"Brothers : You see that there are but few of us 
here ; what you have said to us, will not remain with 
the few that are here alone ; it will be communicated 
to all your red brethren in this country, and again 
I repeat that I am convinced that they will be glad 
to hear what you have said to us, to our women and 
children. 

"Brothers : When we saw you with the rest of 
your brethren in Baltimore upward of two years 
ago, I presume you recollect perfectly the conversa- 
tion between us at that time and place. I then, 
Avith my Brother Chiefs, told you that we were glad 
to find you so much disposed to assist us, our wom- 
en and children ; we told you that your good wishes 
should be made known to all your red brethren in 
this country, which has been done. 

"Brothers : Ever since that time, I, as well as 
some others of my Brother Chiefs, have been en- 
deavoring to turn the minds of our people toward 
the cultivation of the earth, but am sorry to say we 
have not yet been able to effect anything. 

"Brothers: There are so few of us here pres- 
ent, we could not now undertake to give you any 
positive answer; we expect in a few moons, there 
will be many of our people together. At that time 
it will be proper that we should give you an answer 
to all the subjects you now mention to us. 

"Brothers : The things you have said to us re- 
quire our greatest attention. It appears to be really 
necessary that we should deliberate upon them. In 
order to do so we must beg you to leave the paper on 
which they were written, that we may communi- 
cate them to the Chiefs when they assemble. 

"Brothers: All the words you said today, were 



152 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

certainly calculated for our good. You have enu- 
merated to us the different kinds of grains and ani- 
mals we ought to raise for our comfort. You have 
told us that if we all adopt the plan you have pro- 
posed, we shall want for nothing. This Brothers, 
myself and many of our people believe is true, and 
we hope we shall finally be able to convince our 
young men that this is the plan we should adopt to 
get our living. 

"Brothers : You have come a long distance to 
render service to us ; we hope you will meet with the 
success you wish. You have been very particular 
in pointing out to us what will be for our good ; you 
have been very particular in pointing out the duties 
of our women, and you have told us that in adopt- 
ing your mode of living, our numbers would in- 
crease and not diminish. In all this I perfectly 
agree with you, and hope all the Chiefs will also 
agree with you. 

"Brothers : We are pleased to hear you say you 
are going to leave one of your Brothers with us, to 
show us in what manner you cultivate the earth. 
We shall endeavor, Brothers, to make his situation 
among us as agreeable to him as will be possible for 
us. 

"Brothers : We are convinced the plan you pro- 
pose will be advantageous to your red brethren. We 
are convinced you have observed very justly, that 
w^e shall not then be so liable to sickness. We are 
certain we shall then be able to make a more com- 
fortable living with less labor than at present, and 
hope this will be the opinion of us all. 

"Brothers : I again repeat, I am extremely glad 
to hear the things you have said, and that we will 
keep them in our hearts for the good of our young 
men, our women and our children. I have now de- 
livered to you the sentiments of our people that are 
present." 

C After a short pause he added.) 

"Brothers: Assure your people who have sent 
you here, tell your old Chiefs we are obliged to them 
for their friendly offers to assist us in changing our 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 153 

present mode of living. Tell them it is a work 
which cannot be done immediately, that we are all 
that way disposed and we hope it will take place 
gradually." 

(Sitting down a short space, he rises again.) 
"Brothers : My heart is so overjoyed and warm 
with what you have said, that I forgot to mention 
one of the most important things. At the time we 
first met at this place, the Medals and myself 
formed some idea of your business ; we expected 
you had come to do for us the things you proposed 
to us when in Baltimore, and consulted each other 
upon the answer necessary to return to you in every 
respect, and now find our idea was right. Broth- 
ers, the sentiments which I have delivered to you, 
were his sentiments. You have now told us that 
your Brother has a mind to live among us, to show 
us how to cultivate the earth, and has desired us 
to show him the spot where to begin. We agreed 
then that he should be at neither of our villages, 
lest our younger Brothers should be jealous of our 
taking him to ourselves. We have determined to 
place him on the Wabash, where some of our fami- 
lies will follow him ; where our young men, I hope, 
will flock to him, and where he will be able to in- 
struct them as he wishes. This is all I have to say. 
I could all day repeat the sentiments I have already 
expressed ; also, how much I have been gratified 
in seeing and hearing from our Brothers, but that 
is not necessary. I am sorry the Chiefs of our 
country are not all present, that they might all hear 
what you have said, and have an opportunity to 
talk with you." 

This speech of Little Turtle is copied from a manu- 
script found among the papers of Judge Jouett, for- 
merly Indian Agent at Chicago, by whom it was 
preserved since the time of its delivery, something 
over three score years ago. It seems proper that this 
speech should not be lost; and though it may seem 
to the reader prolix and tame, lacking the fire and 
passion that we usually expect in the speech of an 
Indian orator, yet the subject matter was one of 



154 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

peace, and refers to the comparatively quiet and 
dull life of civilization. The speaker, however, be- 
lieved it involved the best interests of his people. 

A friend named Philip Dennis had agreed to re- 
main, intending- to live among them to teach them 
practical farming. Little Turtle explained that the 
other Chiefs and himself had agreed that it should 
be at neither of their villages, "lest our younger 
brothers should be jealous of our taking him to 
ourselves. We have determined to place him on 
the Wabash where some of our families will follow 
him, and where he will be able to instruct as he 
wishes." The point thus selected for the first agri- 
cultural college established in the west was a little 
below Huntington, at a place called the Boat Yards, 
from the fact that General Wilkinson had built 
some flat boats there to transfer baggage and mate- 
rial down the river. 

The experiment was not a success, and Dennis 
found by experience that Little Turtle's misgivings 
in regard to the industry of the young men were 
fully verified. After he had inclosed his farm only 
one or two of the Red Men evinced any dis- 
position to labor. They would take a seat on the 
fence or in the trees near his work and watch with 
apparent interest, his plowing and hoeing, but with- 
out offering to lend a helping hand. Becoming dis- 
couraged Dennis left in the fall and abandoned the 
first attempt to teach the savage the arts of peace. 

Jared Mansfield held the important position of 
Surveyor General of the United States, and was 
located at Cincinnati for nine years, from 1804 to 
1813, when his son E. D. Mansfield was yet quite 
a boy. The manner of his appointment and the 
work that he performed will illustrate his character 
and introduce a small but interesting chapter of 
events in the life of Little Turtle. Mansfield had 
formerly taught mathematics in New Haven, Conn., 
where he had several pupils, who afterward became 
famous, among whom were Abraham and Harry 
Baldwin. The former was afterward United States 
Senator from Georgia ; the latter Judge of the Su- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 155 

preme Court of the United States. While Jared 
Mansfield was teaching, he published a book, entit- 
led "Essays on ]\Iathematics". It was an original 
work, and but few copies were sold for there were 
but few men in the country who could understand 
it. The book, however, established his reputation 
as a man of science and greatly influenced his after- 
life. Abraham Baldwin was at that time Senator 
from Georgia, and brought this book to the notice 
of President Jeff'erson, who was fond of science and 
of scientific men. The consequence was that he was 
appointed chief engineer and teacher of cadets at 
West Point. He was there about a year, when he 
received an appointment to a new and more arduous 
field in the west. Mr. Jefferson had been but a 
short time in office when he became aware of the 
fact that the public surveys were going wrong, for 
the accuracy of the surveys depended upon estab- 
lished meridian lines with base lines at right angles 
to them. The surveyors at that time could not run 
these lines accurately. By Senator Baldwin's fur- 
ther recommendation Mr. Mansfield was appointed 
Surveyor General, and was located at Marietta for 
two years, and afterward in 1805, in Cincinnati. 
In his personal memoirs written later in life his 
son, E. D. ]\Iansfield, gives us an interesting account 
of the old Northwest, and of some of the most strik- 
ing characters both men and women, who made its 
history. Among these were the "Queen of the Fairy 
Isle", Mrs. Blennerhasset, who deserved a better 
fate than that which befell her. That lady had a 
spectacular career, her name becoming a theme of 
poetry and eloquence. Another of the noted char- 
acters who was never forgotten by Mr. Mansfield, 
was that matchless and dignified figure which 
stands out on the historical canvass in bold relief 
— Little Turtle, Chief of the Miamis, the polished 
gentleman, the great Indian statesman of his time. 
It was the duty of the Surveyor General to run 
the GreeneVille Treaty line, which was still unfin- 
ished, a few years after the signing of the treaty of 
peace at GreeneVille. About 1806, Little Turtle 



156 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

called at the Surveyor General's office in Cincinnati 
to arrange for the above survey. 

Mr. E. D. Mansfield says, concerning- this occa- 
sion: "One day a dark complexioned man with 
swarthy countenance, riding a very fine horse, dis- 
mounted at our house, and went into my father's 
office. I wanted to go in and see him, but for some 
reason was not allowed to. After some time I saw 
him come out, mount his horse and ride rapidly 
away. I was struck by the appearance of the man 
and asked my mother, "Who is that man?" She 
said, "That is Little Turtle, the great Miami 
Chief". As Little Turtle rode away from the house 
in the declining sun, Mansfield might, without any 
violent stretch of imagination, have seemed to see 
one of the last Great Spirits of the Indian race 
leaving the land of his fathers, probably looking- 
for the last time upon the beautiful valley of the 
Miami, and bidding farewell to each hill, wood and 
stream. 

This incident more fully illustrates Little Turtle's 
constant care and vigilance for the well being of his 
race, and, displays his loyalty to the Americans as 
well. 

In 1807, Little Turtle again visited Baltimore, 
and Washington, D. C, accompanied by Richard- 
ville and other Chiefs. He desired to have a flour 
mill erected at Fort Wayne, and appeared earnestly 
desirous of promoting the interests of his people. 
Hs is mentioned as- having an indescribable coun- 
tenance, and being possessed of a very orderly dis- 
position. On this visit he was entertained with 
other Chiefs at the house of a former friend. He 
was the first to enter the parlor, bowing gracefully, 
as he was introduced to the family, and in a short 
address gratefully acknowledging the pleasure at 
meeting the wife and children of his friend. 

In dignity of appearance he exceeded all his com- 
panion Chiefs — a dignity which resulted from the 
character of his mind. He was above the medium 
stature, with a complexion of the palest coppei' 
shade, and did not use paint. His hair was worn 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 157 

full and had no admixture of grey. He was then 
dressed in a coat of blue cloth, with gilt buttons, 
pantaloons of the same color, and buff waistcoat, 
and, together with the other Chiefs, wore leggings 
and moccasins, and had gold rings in his ears. This 
dress was completed by a long red military sash 
around the waist and a cocked hat surmounted by 
a red feather. On entering the house he imme- 
diately removed his hat and carried it under his 
arm. Altogether he was graceful and agreeable to 
an uncommon degree and was admired by all who 
made his acquaintance. 

Little Turtle was fond of telling of his war ad- 
ventures. One anecdote he used to relate with 
much gusto concerning an occasion on which he 
himself had been outwitted. "A white man", said 
he, "a prisoner of many years in the tribe, had often 
solicited permission to go on a war party and had 
been refused. It never was the practice of the 
Indians to ask or encourage white prisoners among 
them to go to war against their countrymen. This 
white man, however, had so fai- won the confidence 
of the Indians, and being very importunate I took 
him on an expedition to Kentucky. As was our prac- 
tice, we had carefully reconnoitered and had fixed on 
a house recently built as the one to be attacked the 
next morning about the dawn of day. The house was 
surrounded by a clearing, there being much brush 
and fallen timber on the ground. At the appointed 
time the Indians, with the white man, began to move 
to the attack. At all such times no talking or noise 
is to be made. They crept along on their hands and 
feet. All is done by signs by the leader. The white 
man all the time was striving to be foremost while 
the Indians were beckoning him to keep back. In 
spite of all their efforts he would keep ahead, and 
having at last got within running distance of the 
house he jumped to his feet and went with all his 
speed, shouting at the top of his voice, 'Indians! 
Indians' ! We had to make a precipitated retreat, 
losing forever our white companion and disappoint- 
ed in our fancied conquest of the log cabin. From 



158 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

that day I would never trust a white man to ac- 
company me again in war." 

The last public speech ever made by Chief Little 
Turtle was at Fort Wayne, January 25, 1812, to 
William Henry Harrison, Governor of Indiana Ter- 
ritory. In this last address he refers to the Battle 
of Tippecanoe, fought on the morning of the sev- 
enth of the previous November. 

The original address will be found in General 
Harrison's memoirs. Mr. Dawson, the compiler of 
these memoirs, quoted in introducing this address, 
says, "The talk received from Little Turtle which so 
feelingly deplores the consequence of the late ac- 
tion, also appears to allude to the gathering storm 
that broke out in June following, when the United 
States made a formal declaration of war against 
Great Britain. This information Little Turtle must 
have had from some communion with private par- 
ties to himself or the British agents." 

This speech is given as another relic of that ex- 
traordinary genius who was fated not long to sur- 
vive it. The disease with which he had been afflict- 
ed at first now become chronic, and leaving his vil- 
lage he came to Fort Wayne to be treated by the 
United States army surgeon. It shortly became 
past all control and he died on the 14th of July, 
1812. 

Little Turtle's speech to General Harrison is re- 
ported as follows : 

"My Friend Harrison : I have been requested by 
my nation to speak to you and I obey their request 
with pleasure because I believe their situation re- 
quires all the aid I can afford them. When your 
speech by Mr. Duboise was received by the Miamis, 
they answered it, and I made known to you their 
opinion at the time. Your letter to William Wells 
of the 23d of November last has been explained to 
the Miami and Eel River tribes of Indians. 

"My friend, although neither of these tribes of 
Indians have had anything to do with the late un- 
fortunate affair, which happened on the Wabash, still 
they all rejoice to hear you say that if those foolish 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 159 

Indians would return to their several homes and 
remain quiet, that they would be pardoned and 
again received by the President as his children. 

"We believe there are none of them that will be 
so foolish as not to accept of this friendly offer; 
while at the same time I assure you that nothing 
shall be wanting on my part to prevail on them to 
accept it. 

"All of the Prophet's followers have left him with 
the exception of two camps of his own tribe. Te- 
cumseh has just joined him with eight men only. 
No danger can be appi'ehended from them at pi-es- 
ent. Our eyes will be constantly kept on them, and 
should they attempt to gather strength again we 
will do all in our power to prevent it, and at the 
same time give you immediate information of their 
intentions. 

"We are sorry that the peace and fi'iendship 
which so long existed between the Red Men and 
the white people could not be preserved without the 
loss of so many good men as fell on both sides in the 
late action on the Wabash ; but we are satisfied that 
it will be the means of making that peace which 
ought to exist between us more respected, both by 
the red men and the white people. We have lately 
been told by different Indians from this country to 
visit you. This we will do with pleasure when 
you give us information of it in writing. 

"My friend, the clouds appear to be rising in a 
different quarter, which threatens to turn our light 
into darkness. To prevent this it may require the 
united efforts of us all. We hope that none of us 
will be found to shrink from the storm that threat- 
ens to burst on our nations. I am your friend 
(Mishecanoquah or Little Turtle) representing the 
Miami and Eel River tribes of Indiana." 

The influence of this great Chieftain did not cease 
with his death, for we are informed that the Coun- 
cil of Shawnees, Miamis, Wyandots, Delawares and 
Senecas at Piqua, Ohio, in August, 1812, was largely 
influenced by the attitude of Little Turtle and Black 




160 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

Hoof, and these tribes decided to remain neutral 
during the war and to congregate at upper Piqua 
under the control of the government agent. Col. 
Johnston. It is said that from 6,000 to 10,000 In- 
dians congregated at this point from 1812 to 1815 
and, with few exceptions, remained faithful to the 
American's cause. 

Even the enemies of Little Turtle paid a solemn 
tribute to his memory. His remains were interred 
about the center of the old orchard, with all his 
adornments, implements of war, a sword presented 
to him by General Washington, together with a 
medal with the likeness of Washington thereon, 
probably the one given to him at Greenville. 

All these objects were laid by the side of the body 
and hidden beneath the sod in one common grave. 

It is said that one Mr. J. P. Hedges and others 
knew the exact spot up to about 1860. Mentioning 
the orchard in the center of which Little Turtle was 
buried calls to mind the historic renown of the 
famous old apple tree of more recent years, which 
stood alone a silent historic memento of years gone 
by, revered by both white and red men. It was out 
of this tree that an Indian, during the siege of Fort 
Wayne in 1812, was shot by one of the soldiers from 
the fort at a distance of many hundred yards. In 
an exulting spirit one of the besiegers was in the 
habit of climbing the tree each day for several days 
and throwing his arms much like the rooster flaps 
his wings when crowing, would utter a noise very 
much like this fowl. This challenge was finally 
answered by the crack of a double-charged rifle 
from the fort and the Indian was seen to fall. 

This tree has long since died and fallen to the 
ground, and remains only in the distant memory of 
the older citizens of Allen county, and the city of 
Fort Wayne. 

We here introduce four stanzes of an ode to the 
old apple tree: 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 161 

"There's an apple tree near the wild wood 
No lovelier place on the river St. Joe, 

No spot so dear to my childhood 
The murmur of waters below ; 

Its tones so sweetly are calling, 

come to the old apple tree you know. 

"How sweet in the springtime morning. 

To list to the birds in the dell 
All sweetly calling, come to the river St. Joe,. 

Where the Indian warrior and maiden belle 
Meet beneath the moonlight shade 

Of the apple tree so long ago. 

"There close by the tree in the valley lies 

A warrior Chieftain sleeping well; 
He sleeps, sweetly sleeps 'neath the willow. 

Disturb not his rest in the vale; 
Chief Little Turtle now lies on his pillow 

Beneath the village of Lawton Dale. 

"Chief Richardville in youth did play 

Where wild flowers bloomed on the river St. Joe ; 
The farewell hymn was chanted in morning grey 

where is the wigwam on the river St. Joe? 
The Turtle, Richardville and Wells you say 

The wild wood and apple tree gone long, long ago.** 

Brice tells us that Little Turtle died in his lodge 
or camp at the old orchard, a short distance north 
of the confluence of the St. Marys and St. Joseph, 
in the yard fronting the house of his son-in-law, 
Captain William Wells. He had suffered for many 
months previous with the gout and came here from 
his place of residence at Little Turtle Town, on Blue 
river, to be treated as above mentioned, by the army 
surgeon. 

It was a solemn and interesting occasion, in the 
language of one who was present at his burial. His 
body was borne to the grave with the highest hon- 
ors by his once great enemies, the white man. The 



162 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

muffled drum, the solemn march, the funeral salute, 
announced that a great diplomat and soldier had 
fallen. 

We are informed by Mr. J. M. Stouder, who had 
been a lifelong citizen of Fort Wayne, that his 
winding sheet was a green blanket of beautiful 
design, and that the funeral oration was delivered 
by Chief Coessie, a grandson. 

Little Turtle signed the following treaties with 
the United States: Grenville, August 3, 1795; 
Fort Wayne, June 17, 1803 ; Vincennes, August 
21, 1805; and the last Fort Wayne, September 30, 
1809. 

From the time he signed the Treaty of Greene- 
Ville, which was the most important, he lived in 
amity with and was a steadfast friend of the Amer- 
ican people. 

The whole week of June 5th to 10th, 1916, was 
devoted to the celebration of the first centennial 
year of Indiana, at Fort Wayne. A few weeks be- 
fore this occasion the Daughters of the American 
Revolution had placed a huge boulder, with a 
bronze tablet attached on the north bank of the 
Maumee at the intersection of Edgewater avenue 
and Dearborn streets, in commemoration of the 
American soldiers who lost their lives at this his- 
toric spot, Harmar's ford where Chief Little Tur- 
tle defeated the troops under command of Josiah 
Harmar in 1790. The unveiling ceremonies were 
held on Thursday afternoon, June 8, 1916. Ex- 
president Taft spoke from an automobile making 
a brief address in which he commended the above 
organization for its work in marking historic spots 
for future generations. 

Mrs. James B. Crankshaw, Regent, presided at 
the ceremonies. "The Star Spangled Banner" was 
rendered by the Elks' Band. Mrs. Henry A. Beck, 
of Indianapolis, State Regent of the D. A. R., spoke 
briefly after the unveiling. Hundreds of school 
children joined in singing on this occasion. Ex- 
Mayor Robert B. Hanna, of Fort Wayne, delivered 
the unveiling address. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 



163 



We here call attention to the fact, that the re- 
mains of Little Turtle lie without a sufficient mark, 
on the private grounds of Dr. Gillie, Lawton place, 
and hope that arrangements will soon be made by 
which a suitable monument will mark this historic 
spot. 

To the honor of all true born Americans, a grate- 
ful government has recently paid a just debt of love 
and esteem to the heroes who died on the battle- 




SOLDIEES SIONUMEM, ]• 1 . iiKCOVEIlY, O. 



field of Fort Recovery by erecting and unveiling 
on July 1, 1913, a granite shaft one hundred and 
one and one-half feet high, with a base thirty-five 
feet square. A heroic figure typifying the early 
scout and settler, stands on the northern side of 
the shaft. The figure is nine feet high, and is one 
of the most impressive features of the monument. 
With face stern and unyielding, foot and leg strid- 
ing forward, flintlock and powder horn in hand, it 



164 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



seems to be ever advancing toward the great north- 
west of which this region was once typical. It 
represents the conquest of the northwest, the pro- 
gress of the nation and the advancement of civihza- 
tion. Above all it commemorates the lives which 
were sacrificed that all this might be achieved and 
seems to cast over all surroundings the calm and 
quiet of a benediction. 




PIONEER SOLDIEE 

At Base of Fort Recovery Monument 

The dedication of this shaft took place on the one 
hundred and nineteenth anniversary of Little Tur- 
tle's second attack on Fort Recovery, and in the one 
hundred and twenty-second year after the first bat- 
tle. This monument is composed of North Carolina 
granite, and was erected through an appropriation 
by the general government of twenty-five thousand 
dollars ($25,000) secured by the personal efforts of 
Congressman W. E. Touville. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 165 

In the month of January, Little Turtle warned 
General Harrison by a messenger, of the signs of 
an approaching war with Great Britain, expressing 
for himself his attachment to the government of the 
United States. 

It seems that shortly after his death, a part of the 
Miamis, at least were inclined to adhere to the 
British and to show signs of hostility, so much so 
that General Harrison was compelled to order Col- 
onel Simrall with a regiment of dragoons, number- 
ing three hundred and twenty men, and a company 




VIEW OF DEVIL S LAKE 

Showing landscape scenery within one hundred and fifty j-ards of the site 
where Little Turtle was born in 175ii Devil's Lake near view and 
glimpse of Blue River in distance. 

of mounted riflemen under Colonel Farrow to de- 
stroy Little Turtle's town, on Blue river, with strict 
orders not to molest the buildings formerly erected 
by the United States for the benefit of Little Turtle, 
whose friendship for the Americans had ever been 
firm after the Treaty of GreeenVille. Colonel Sim- 
rall having performed the task assigned him on the 
evening of the 19th, returned to the fort. The 
house built by the government for Little Turtle was 
thus preserved. 



166 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

The writer has often talked with an old trapper 
and hunter, by the name of William Gaff, who died 
about 1867. This old trapper had frequently- 
camped for several weeks at a time twenty or twen- 
ty-five years before in the famous Little Turtle 
house shortly after all the Indians had left. He 
said that he had drunk water out of an old gourd 
from the spring at the foot of the hill. And I 
myself quite well remember when yet a boy, 
about 1863, seeing the old rusty nail driven in an 
oak tree nearby for the purpose of hanging the 
drinking vessel. 

"Deserted was his own good hall 
His hearth was desolate. 
Wild weeds had gathered on the wall 
The wolf howled at the gate." 

— Byron. 

Forest and prairie fires finally destroyed the last 
vestige of all Indian remains, and Little Turtle's 
village became a thing of the past, 

"Away those winged years have flown to gain the 
mass of ages gone." 

About 1839, a number of the Miamis with other 
tribes were taken west by way of Cincinnati, and 
the Ohio river. They stopped at Greenville long 
enough to pay a last visit of respect to the old home 
of Tecumseh and the Prophet. In this connection 
a strange incident was related by one Mr. Stephen 
Hiland, an old gentleman, who still lived in Green- 
ville, Ohio, in 1880, but had been a citizen of Ham- 
ilton county, Ohio, in early days. He stated, that 
when the Indians saw the tomb of General Harrison 
at North Bend, and learned that it was the grave of 
the old hero of Tippecanoe they at once expressed a 
desire to land and pay a last tribute of respect to 
the departed dead. This privilege being granted 
they assembled around the tomb kneeling and utter- 
ing words in their native tongue, after which they 
arose and resumed their journey. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 167 

The interpreter afterward informed the command- 
ing officer, that what the Indians said in substance at 
the tomb of General Harrison was this, "Farewell 
Ohio, and your bravest warrior." 

"Adieu to the graves where my forefathers rest 
For I must be going to the far distant west ; 
I've sold my possessions my heart fills with woe 
To think I must leave them. Alas I must go. 

"Farewell ye tall oaks in whose pleasant green shade 
In childhood I sported in innocence played; 
My dog and mj" hatchet, my arrows and bow 
Are still in remembrance ! Alas I must go. 

"Adieu ye loved scenes which binds me like chains 
Where on my gay pony I chased o'er the plains. 
The deer and the turkey I tracked in the snow 
But now I must leave them. Alas I must go. 

"Adieu to the trails which for many a year 
I traveled to spy the turkey and deer. 
The hills, trees and flowers that pleased me so 
I must now leave. Alas I must go." 

— Anonymous. 

Little Turtle's name was spelled and also pro- 
nounced in different ways, but at the Treaty of 
GreeneVille, it was spelled Me-she-kin-no-quah. 

Mr. J. P. Dunn, author of "True Indian Stories," 
says, "this name was commonly known as the Little 
Turtle, but that is not what his name means. Lit- 
erally it means, the Great Turtle's wife, but it is not 
in that sense that it applied to this great chief. 

The Miamis have specific names for the most 
common turtle; At-che-pong, for snapping turtle; 
Ah-koot-yak for the soft shelled turtle; We-weet- 
chah for the box turtle; and Me-she-kin-no-quah 
for the painted terrapin. This last is the most com- 
mon of all the turtles in this region, and the most 
gaudily colored, which probably explains its Indian 



168 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

name for who should be handsome, if not the wife 
of the Great Turtle, wiio typifies the earth and was 
the Chief beneficient Manitou of the Algonquin 
tribes in the olden times. But when it came to 
translation, the interpreters knew no specific Eng- 
lish name for the painted terrapin, which is a little 
turtle, never growing more than four or six inches 
across. They conveyed the idea as well as they 
could by saying. The Little Turtle. 

The Little Turtle might have been a puny infant, 
which may account for his name for a more sprawl- 
ing, helpless looking creature than a newly hatched 
painted terrapin can hardly be imagined. More 
than likely Mr. Dunn here gives this word the 
proper translation, as he has given the Indian vo- 
cabulary much study. 



X. 

BURIAL PLACE. 

Little Turtle was thirty-nine years old at the 
time of St. Clair's defeat, and sixty years old at 
the time of his death. It seems that his grave had 
become lost to all human knowledge and that the 
most diligent search in recent times had failed to 
locate the exact place of his burial. Thus after 
sleeping in an unknown grave for a number of years 
in the vicinity of his former glory, his remains were 
accidentally found July 4th, 1911. 

Two brothers, Albert and Charles Lockner, who 
had contracted to build a house for Dr. George W. 
Gillie, in Lawton Place, lot 28, Fort Wayne, Ind., 
near the west bank of the St. Joseph river, while 
engaged in excavating the cellar, uncovered the sup- 
posed remains of the great ]Miami War Chief. 

We herewith give the account of the finding of 
the grave as related by Mr. J. M. Stouder, of whom 
we will have more to say later. 

About a month after this find had been made, Mr. 
Stouder had occasion to visit the house of Albert 
Lockner and asked to see the Indian relics that he 
knew he had in his possession, as he always was 
interested in such discoveries. He was immediately 
struck by the apparent wealth and importance of 
the find, and began an investigation as to the iden- 
tity of the remains of the person in the grave. 
Early in his research he became convinced that 
Albert and Charles Lockner and Dr. Gillie had dis- 
covered the grave of Little Turtle. He says, "that 
he was greatly indebted to Miss Eliza Rudisell, Mr. 
Howard Hanthorne and Mr. Chas. Warden for the 
assistance they gave him in identifying the grave 
of the greatest Chief of his time. 

The date of the discovery will hereafter be of 
interest to the citizens of Fort Wayne, and Allen 

169 



170 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 




OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 171 

county, Indiana, and indeed to all persons interested 
in the early settlement of the Northwest Territory. 
The Lockner brothers soon found a number of 
Indian skeletons in digging out the cellar, which 
was no doubt the last burying ground of the Miamis, 
at Fort Wayne. Noticing that whatever was in 
the graves was appropriated by laborers, the con- 
tractors called off the crew and with the assistance 
of Dr. Gillie, proceeded to finish the cellar and to 
dig the drain for the same. In this cellar drain the 
grave of Little Turtle was found. The finders had 
no idea of the identity of the body. About the neck 
of the Chief was found the string of silver beads ; 
the hair was also tied with a buckskin thong and 
from the description by the Lockner brothers was 
well preserved. The vermillion plate was beneath 
the Chieftain's knees, the silver armlets on his arms, 
and the anklets; and the famous sword, guns and 
remnants of pistols were at his side. The various 
other implements had been placed in different parts 
of the grave, and had probably become disarranged 
in the digging of the drain. On the breast were 
the silver disks believed to be medals. They were 
fastened together by means of a buckskin thong, 
and are shown in the collection just as they were 
found. The articles taken from the grave' are as 
follows : Eight silver bracelets ; two silver anklets ; 
one heavy metal bracelet; three silver medals; four 
silver brooches ; one pair of silver ear rings ; six pen- 
dants ; one string of silver beads ; twenty-three sil- 
ver crosses, each one inch long; one sword, which 
we are certain is that presented to the Chief by 
General Washington; one string of white silver 
beads ; four metal buttons ; one small pocket knife ; 
one large clasp knife, of good design ; one drinking 
cup ; one metal spoon ; one pair of shears ; one ham- 
mer; one gun barrel from which rotten portions of 
the stock fell when lifted from the grave; one pair 
of bullet molds ; one flint lock ; the remains of a pis- 
tol ; three large knives ; one pair of steel spurs ; one 
ax ; one tomahawk, and copper kettle containing 



172 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



when found, beans and corn, which went to a fine 
powder when exposed to the air. 

I am satisfied that the grave of no ordinary In- 
dian would have contained this costly and various 
display of riches and that this is undoubtedly an ac- 




FEOM LITTLE TURTLE .S GRAVE 

Lawton Place, Fort Wayne. 



cidental and genuine find of the remains of Little 
Turtle. 

I myself have examined this collection very 
carefully, now in possession of Mr. J. M. Stouder, 
a short time afterward, having gone to Fort Wayne 
for this purpose in rather a skeptical turn of mind 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 



173 



as to the genuineness, but must now say that after 
the most critical examination we are fully satisfied 
that this without dobut was the grave of Little Tur- 
tle, and that these were his relics buried with him. 
W. D. Schiefer, of the Schiefer Shoe Store says, 
that while he resided on the old Barnett place in 




FROM LITTLE TURTLE'S GRAVE 

Lawton Place, Fort Wayne. 



1875, a man named Hedges, who had been present 
at the burial of Little Turtle had pointed out to him 
the exact location of the grave as well as he could 
remember without any suggestions from any one. 
Although he had not been in the locality since Spy 
Run had been laid out, he located the spot within 



174 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

one hundred feet of the place where the grave was 
uncovered. 

Too much credit cannot be given Mr. J, M. 
Stouder, a hardware dealer at 122 East Columbia 
street, Fort Wayne, Ind., who identified the grave 
and its remains, purchased and preserved the relics 
and marked the spot at his own expense for all time. 
In justice to historical facts relating to the find, 
and the identity of this long lost grave, it is said, 
"Mr, Stouder is an almost life long citizen of 
Fort Wayne; that he is regarded by his fellow 
townsmen as a straightforward, upright, enterpris- 
ing citizen. He is a member of high standing in the 
Free Mason Lodge, highly esteemed by all who know 
him". 

This discovery is regarded as genuine by the peo- 
ple of Fort Wayne and vicinity, as well as by all 
scientific and historical experts who have seen fit 
to investigate it. From the array of the various 
implements and ornaments found in Little Turtle's 
grave we find he was buried according to the time 
honored customs that prevailed with the North 
American Indians. The idea was universal with 
them of the happy hunting ground, and of what- 
ever was essential to an existence here would also 
be a necessity in that great and glorious future life, 
where all kinds of game was abundant, where the 
forests were always green and the waters sparkling 
clear and bright. These hunting grounds were set 
apart by the Great Spirit as their future abode. 
They lay beyond the western ocean. Here there 
were no extremes of heat and cold, wet and drought; 
no one suffered disease ; and age and infirmity were 
unknown ; all fruits of the earth grew in abundance, 
without needing cultivation, and the woods were 
filled with every description of game. The trees 
were so tall in this country that their branches 
seemed to penetrate the heavens bearing company 
with the stars. Everything in this favored region 
was endowed with eternal life and unfading beauty ; 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 



175 



and here the Indian was to be the sole possessor, 
undisturbed by the cruel and avaricious white man. 

"No fiends torment 
No Christians thirst for gold." 

William Geakie, of the city of Fort Wayne, has 
in his possession in his safe vault in the First 
National Bank the gold watch that belonged to 




FACE OF LITTLE TURTLE S WATCH. BACK OF LITTLE TURTLE'S WATCH. 

Little Turtle's watch, willed to William Geake by George Ricliardville 
Godfrey wliile on liis deatlibed at Hope Hospital, Fort Wayne. On the 
back of this watch are engraved tne initials of John Richardvllle Godfrey, 
who married into Little Turtle's family and becBme a Chief. 

Little Turtle, and was worn by him for many years. 
The watch is beautiful in design and workmanship. 
It was purchased in England at a cost of approxi- 
mately four hundred dollars ($400.00) was pre- 
sented to the Chief by the British during the time 
the English government was currying the favor and 
agitating the Indians in uprisings against the New 
Republic. It was a bribe both pure and simple, con- 
ceived by the duplicity of English statesmen. 



176 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

At the death of Little Turtle the watch became 
the property of the succeeding Chief and went on 
down the line of the successive leaders of the tribe 
until it reached George Godfrey, whose father was 
the last red Chief of the Miamis in this section of 
the country. 

George Godfrey, who lived on the reservation 
south of the city, became ill of a complication of 
diseases. Seven years ago he was brought to the 
Hope Hospital for treatment, his condition was 
hopeless and he realized that he could not recover. 
He had become a member of the Masonic Lodge 
many years before at the request of Mr. Geakie, 
who was one of his closest friends, a member of the 
Scottish Rite, a Knight Templar and a Shriner. 
Two weeks before his death came he urged Mr. 
Geakie, who was his daily visitor at the hospital, 
to accept the watch as a last token of friendship. 

For several years it had been locked in the safe at 
the Dallas and Green Jewelry Store. When Mr. 
Geakie toured Europe several years ago he took the 
watch with him, and one of the most noted jewelers 
in London cleaned and repaired the timepiece. 
Though nearly one hundred and fifty years old the 
watch still keeps perfect time. 

Robert Koerber, of Trenkley and Koerber Jewelry 
Company, was shown the watch. He at once became 
very much interested, recognizing it as one of the 
rare old English makes. He took the numbers of 
the case and works and the name of the makers, 
Motobis & Company, Liverpool, England. On the 
back of the watch are engraved the initials of John 
Richardville Godfrey, who married into Little Tur- 
tle's family, and became a Chief. 

The watch is now held as a priceless relic, by Wil- 
liam Geakie, of Fort Wayne. 

''His was the broad and grand domain; 
The hills and vales, the sweep of plain, 
The hunting grounds, the rivers wide — 
They all belonged before he died 
To the wild Indian. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 177 

''The rivers murmur words he gave. 
The mountains all the echoes save 
The woods hold music of his voice 
Their names were given by the choice 
Of the wild Indian. 

"I drove him from this fair estate 
From east to west with endless hate 
At last he lay beneath my tread 
Brave son of forests, stark and dead. 
The wild Indian." 
LuELLA D. Smith, Hudson, N. Y. 



178 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 




WILLIAM WELI.: 



XI. 

CAPTAIN WILLIAM WELLS. 



CAPTIVE AND SCOUT. 

The name of William Wells is closely asso- 
ciated with one of the most distinguished families of 
the Miami nation — his life and that of Little Turtle 
being so interwoven with the history of the tribe 
that we deem it fitting to give a brief sketch of his 
career in this place. 

There seems to be no authentic record of his birth 
and parentage but at the age of eleven years he was 
captured by a predatory band of Miami Indians 
while living with the family of Hon. Nathaniel Pope 
near Louisville, Kentucky. Going through the In- 
dian rite of formal adoption, he lived to manhood 
among the Miamis and became a valuable inter- 
preter on numerous occasions between them and the 
whites. He early became a favorite in his adopted 
tribe and received the name of "Blacksnake", prob- 
ably in recognition of his shrewdness and diplomatic 
ability. His popularity and standing in the tribe is 
indicated by the fact that he married the sister, 
(some authorities say, daughter) of Little Turtle 
for his first wife and fought by the side of this dis- 
tinguished Chief in the successful battles against 
Harmar and St. Clair. Dim recollections of his 
childhood days with his brothers and sisters and the 
horrible scenes of butchery , recently enacted sug- 
gested to him that he might have slain some of his 
Kentucky kindred with his own hand and revived a 
long suppressed yearning to . return to his own 
people. 

The approach of Wayne's army in 1794 stirred 
anew conflicting emotions based upon these indis- 
tinct recollections of early ties, of country and kin- 
dred on the one hand, and of existing attachments 

179 



180 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

of Indian wife and half-breed children on the other. 
After a period of mental struggle he finally decided 
to cast his lot with the Whites and resolved to make 
his decision known. According to reliable tradition 
he made known his secret purpose of leaving his 
adopted tribe in true Indian fashion as follows : 

Taking with him the War Chief, Little Turtle, to 
a favorite spot on the banks of the Maumee, Wells 
said, "I now leave your nation for my own people ; 
we have long been friends, we are friends yet ; until 
the sun reaches a certain height (which he indi- 
cated), from that time we are enemies. Then if 
you wish to kill me, you may. If I want to kill you, 
I may." 

At the appointed hour, crossing the river. Captain 
Wells disappeared in the forests taking an easterly 
direction to strike the trail of Wayne's army. Ob- 
taining an interview with General Wayne, he be- 
came ever afterward the faithful friend of the 
Americans, and was made Captain of the spies con- 
nected with Wayne's army. His adventures in that 
capacity are sufficiently detailed by Mr. McBride. 

After the Treaty of GreeneVille, and the establish- 
ment of peace, he joined his wife and family and 
settled at the old orchard a short distance from the 
confluence of the St. Marys and St. Joseph on the 
banks of a small stream, then and now called Spy 
Run. 

About 1863, the author saw the old and decaying 
scaffold builded between two oaks, on which had 
been hanged two Indian spies, which circumstance 
gave the stream its name. It is a small tributary 
of the St. Marys, crossed by the Indian trail, now 
the Goshen State road, three miles northwest of 
Fort Wayne. In later life the government granted 
Wells a pre-emption of some three hundred and 
twenty acres (320) of land, including his improve- 
ments and the old orchard. By appointment of the 
government. Wells afterwards became Indian Agent 
at Fort Wayne, in which capacity he served several 
years. 

By his first wife. Captain Wells had three daugh- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 181 

ters and a son. Mary Wells married Judge James 
Walcot, and lived in Maumee City, Ohio, in 1828. 
She died here in 1843. In 1825, Judge Walcot built 
a house near this place of black walnut logs long 
since sided over, in which house Mrs. J. G. Gentry, 
a great granddaughter, still lives. Mary (Wells) 
Walcot had the following children : Mary Ann, who 
in 1848, married Smith Gilbert; Henry C. Walcot, 
who died since then ; Frederick A. Walcot, who was 
killed in the Civil War, 1864 ; and James M. Walcot, 
who resided in Maumee City in 1909, no children; 
Smith Gilbert's children, Frederick E., Albert W. 
and Smith W. resided in Maumee City in 1870. 

A poem was read by Mrs. J. G. Gentry, Thursday, 
July 30th, 1913, at Perrysburg, Ohio, during the 
centennial celebration of the siege of Fort Meigs. 
The chairman introducing Mrs. Gentry, referred to 
her distinguished ancestors. 

At the battle of Fallen Timbers, August 20th, 
1794, Mrs. Gentry's ancestors fought on both sides 
— her great-great grandfather, Little Turtle, leading 
the IMaimis and her great grandfather. Captain 
Wells, fighting in Wayne's army. 

Ann Wells, the second daughter of Captain Wells, 
married Dr. Turner, a leading and prominent physi- 
cian in early Fort Wayne, concerning whose family 
we have no record. 

Rebecca Wells, the third daughter of the Wells 
family, married Captain Hackley, a well known 
early pioneer, residing in what is now Bloomingdale, 
a suburb of the city of Fort Wayne, but formerly a 
part of the Wells homestead. Hackley was- the 
first shoemaker in the city of Fort Wayne, and for a 
number of years the only cobbler there. He com- 
mitted suicide by hanging himself at his home. This 
happened when Mrs. Lucien T. Ferry was a child 
and she well remembered what an excitement this 
act created. 

Wayne Wells, the fourth child, was appointed 
Cadet to West Point, from Indiana, September, 
1817 ; Second Lieutenant in 1821 ; First Lieutenant, 
1825; resigned from the army in 1831, and died in 



182 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

the year 1832, on board the steamer Superior of 
Lake Erie while returning home from Pennsyl- 
vania, without wife or children. 

Hon. J. L. Williams, in his Historical Sketch of 
the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Wayne, says, 
"Two of the Wells girls were among the first 
members of the Church about 1824. Tliey were 
one half Indian, and previously (in 1820) joined the 
Baptists, under the labors of the Rev. McCoy, Mis- 
sionary, to the Indians at the post. Thev "^d-e edu- 
cated in Kentucky, and were for long years kindly 
remembered by some in this Church and community 
as ladies of refinement, intelligence and piety." 

The same author from whom we have secured 
nearly all of the above information on the Wells 
family (Knapp's History of the Maumee Valley, 
published 1877), also tehs us that Captain Wells 
afterward married a second sister of Little Turtle 
and that they had one daughter, Jane, who married 
John H. Griggs (a son of an old pioneer, Mathew 
Griggs), and settled at Peru, Indiana. Mr. and 
Mrs. Griggs had two sons, and two daughters, 
one of whom married a Mr. Spaulding. They in 
turn had two daughters, Mrs. Jeannette Thornton 
and Mrs. Eva C. Corthell, the latter now residing at 
2333 Silver street, Jacksonville, Florida. In order 
to reconcile these two conflicting accounts it is sug- 
gested that Wells really had two daughters, one of 
whom died in maidenhood. The other one Jane 
(Wells) Griggs. 

It seems that no historian of the present day can 
give, an exact account of the marriage or of the 
descendants of Captain Wells, as a number of the 
best authorities have been consulted, and they fail 
to agree on these points. Some sav that he married 
Little Turtle's only daughter. If Knapp is correct, 
that Wells had a second wife, then the first one may 
have been Little Turtle's sister. For without doubt 
Mrs. Eva C. Corthe.ll is a great great granddaughter 
of Chief Little Turtle, and a great granddaughter 
of Captain Wells. 

We give as our authority on this subject the Secre- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 



183 



tary of the Chicago Historical Society, who has made 
the above statements at different times, and givei^i 
this matter a thorough investigation. We conckide, 
therefore, that his second wife was Little Turtle's 
only daughter, Man-wan-go-path, or (Sweet Breeze) . 
Mrs. Eva C. Corthell confirms this last state- 
ment. Further confirmation was given by a cousin 




JANE (wells) GRIGGS AND GRANDSON 

Her mother was Man-wan-go-path, or Sweet Breeze, Little Turtle's 
only daughter; her father was Captain William Wells. 



of Mrs. Corthell, Mr. Warren Griggs, of Peru, In- 
diana, who presented the author with a tin type of 
himself, as a boy five years old, standing by the side 
of his grandmother, Mrs. Jane (Wells) Griggs, who 
married John H. Griggs, and was the daughter of 
Captain Wells and Man-wan-go-path. Jane (Wells) 
Griggs and Kil-so-quah were full cousins. 



184 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

By taking this view of the subject, which we think 
is correct, it to some extent reconciles the various 
statements made by the different authorities, which 
we have consulted concerning Wells' marriage after 
the death of his first wife. 

Attached to Captain Wells' scouts during Wayne's 
campaign in the northwest was one Robert McClel- 
lan (whose name since has been immortalized by 
the graphic pen of Washington Irving in his "As- 
toria") , who was one of the most athletic and active 
men on foot known on this continent. On the grand 
parade at Fort GreeneVille, he was challenged to a 
trial of feats and strength by a number of soldiers 
and teamsters, but, not deigning a reply either by 
way of acceptance or refusal, he walked off a few 
steps, took a short run and jumped over an army 
wagon with a covered top about eight and one-half 
feet high. He was very fleet of foot, and, in a lone; 
race, never met his equal. All of these physical 
qualities now became eminently useful to him, and 
enabled him to perform actions which gave him an 
almost unrivaled reputation among the pioneers of 
the west. On one of these expeditions through the 
Indian countiy as he came to the banks of the river 
St. Marys he discovered a family of Indians coming 
up the river in a canoe. He dismounted and con- 
cealed his men near the bank of the river, while he 
himself went to the bank in open view and called to 
the Indians to come over. As he was dressed in 
Indian style and spoke to them, in their own 
language, the Indians not expecting an enemy in 
that part of the country, without any suspicion of 
danger, went across the river. The moment the 
canoe struck the shore Wells heard the click, click 
of his comrades' guns in preparation to shoot the In- 
dians. But who should be in the canoe but his In- 
dian father and mother, with their children, Little 
Turtle and family. As his comrades were coming 
forward with their rifles cocked ready to pour in 
the deadly storm upon the devoted Indians, Wells 
called to them to hold their hands and desist. He 
then informed them who these Indians were and 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 185 

solemnly declared, that the man who would attempt 
to injure one of them would receive a ball in his 
head. 

He said to his men, that that family had fed him 
when he was hungry, clothed him when naked, and 
kindly nursed him when he was sick and in every 
respect were as kind and affectionate to him as they 
were to their own children. 

Those hardy backwoods soldiers aproved of the 
motives of Captain Wells' lenity to the enemy. They 
threw down their rifles and tomahawks, went to the 
canoe and shook hands with the trembling Indians 
in the most friendly manner. Captain Wells assured 
them they had nothing to fear from him, and after 
talking with them to dispel their fears, he said that 
General Wayne was approaching with an over- 
whelming force; that the best thing the Indians 
could do was to make peace, as the white men did 
not wish to continue the war. He urged his Indian 
father for the future to keep out of the reach of 
danger, and then bade them farewell. They ap- 
peared grateful for his clemency; pushed off their 
canoe and went down the river as fast as they could 
propel it. 

Captain Wells and his comrades, though perfect 
desperadoes in fight, upon this occasion proved that 
they possessed to a large degree that real gratitude 
and benevolence of heart which does honor to hu- 
man kind. 

Captain Wells was the same gentleman, named by 
the Rev. 0. M. Spencer, in the narrative of his 
"Capture and release by the Indians". It was to 
Captain Wells, that IMr. Spencer was primarily in- 
debted for his liberty (See Spencer's narrative, page 
105). During his campaign Wayne requested Wells 
to go to Sandusky and secure a prisoner for the pur- 
pose of obtaining information regarding the In- 
dians. Wells replied, that he could get a prisoner, 
but not from Sandusky. Whereupon, Wayne asked 
him why he could not get a prisoner from Sandusky. 
Wells in answer told him, that they were Wyandots 
at Sandusky, and therefore could not be taken alive. 



186 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



In concluding this chapter we give a brief account 
of the massacre at Fort Dearborn (Chicago, 111.) 
and of the tragic death of Captain Wells, which oc- 
curred about a month after that of Little Turtle. 

In the beginning of the War of 1812, Captain 
Wells was in command at Fort Wayne. When he 
heard of General Hull's orders for the evacuation 
of Fort Dearborn, he made a rapid march with a 
number of friendly Indians to assist in defending 
the Fort, or to prevent its exposure to certain de- 
struction or by an attempt to reach Fort Wayne in 
safety at the head of the Maumee with the men, 
women and children of old Fort Dearborn. 




FOKT DEARBORN 

Erected on Chicago River in ISul. 



Toward the evening of the 7th of August, 1812, 
Wen-ne-meg, or the "Catfish", a friendly Pottawat- 
tomie Chief, who was intimate with Mr. Kinzie, 
came to Fort Dearborn from Fort Wayne as the 
bearer of a dispatch from General Hull to Captain 
Heald, in which the former announced his arrival 
at Detroit with an army, the declaration of war, 
the invasion of Canada, and the loss of Mackinack. 
It also conveyed an order to Captain Heald to evacu- 
ate Fort Dearborn, if practicable, and to distribute 
in that event all the United States property con- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 187 

tained in the Fort and in the government factory, 
or agency in the neighborhood. This was doubtless 
intended to be a peace offering to the savages to pre- 
vent their joining the British then menacing Detroit. 

Wenemeg, who knew the purport of the order, 
begged ]\Ir. Kinzie to advise Captain Heald not to 
evacuate the Fort, for the movement would be difh- 
cult and dangerous. 

The Indians had already received information 
from Tecumseh. of the disasters to the American 
arms, and the withdrawal of Hull's army from Can- 
ada, and were becoming daily more restless and 
insolent. 

Heald had an ample supply of ammunition and pro- 
visions for six months ; why not hold out until relief 
could come from the southward? Winemeg further 
urged that if Captain Heald should resolve to evacu- 
ate, it should be done immediately before the In- 
dians should be informed of the order, or could pre- 
pare for formidable resistance. "Leave the fort and 
stores as they are," he said, "and let them make the 
distributions for themselves , and while the Indians 
are engaged in that business the white people may 
make their way in safety to Fort Wayne." Mr. 
Kinzie readily perceived the wisdom of Winemeg's 
advice, and so did Captain Heald's officers — but the 
Commander blindly resolved to obey Hull's order 
strictly as to evacuation and the distribution of the 
public property. He caused that order to be read to 
the troops on the morning of the 8th, and then as- 
sumed the whole responsibility. 

His officers expected to be summoned to a council, 
but were disappointed. Toward evening they called 
upon the Commander, and when infoi'med of his 
determination they remonstrated with him. The 
march, they said, must necessarily be slow on ac- 
count of the women and children and infirm persons, 
and therefore, under the circumstances, extremely 
perilous. Hull's orders, they said, left it to the dis- 
cretion of the Commander to go or stay, and they 
thought it much better to strengthen the fort; defv 
the savages and endure a siege until relief should 



188 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

reach them. Heald argued in reply, that special 
orders had been issued by the war department, that 
no post should be surrendered without battle having 
been given by the assailed, and that his force was 
totally inadequate to an engagement with the In- 
dians. He should expect the censure of his govern- 
ment, he said, if he remained, and having full con- 
fidence in the professions of friendship of many of 
the Chiefs about him, he should call them together, 
make the required distributions and take up his 
march for Fort Wayne. After that his officers had 
no more communications with him on the subject. 

The Indians became more unruly every hour, and 
yet Heald, with fatal procrastination, postponed the 
assembling of the savages for two or three days. 
They finally met near the Fort, on the afternoon of 
the 12th, and there the commander held a farewell 
council with them. Heald invited the officers to join 
him in the council, but they refused. They had re- 
ceived intimations that treachery was designed ; that 
the Indians intended to murder them in the council 
circle, and then destroy the inmates of the Fort. 
The officers remained within the pickets and open- 
ing the port of one of the blockhouses, so as to ex- 
pose the cannon pointed directly upon the group in 
council, they secured the safety of Captain Heald. 
The Indians were intimidated by the menacing 
monster, and accepted Heald's offers with many 
protestations of friendship. 

He agreed to distribute among them, not only the 
goods in the public store, blankets, broadcloths, 
calicoes, paints, etc., but also the arms, ammunition 
and provisions, not necessary for the use of the gar- 
rison on its march. It was stipulated that the dis- 
tribution should take place the next day, soon after 
which the garrison and white inhabitants would 
leave the works. The Pottawattomies agreed on their 
part to furnish a proper escort for them through 
the wilderness to Fort Wayne, on condition of being 
liberally rewarded on their arrival there. 

When the result of the council was made known, 
Mr. Kinzie warmly remonstrated with Captain 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 189 

Heald. He knew the Indians well and their weak- 
ness, in the presence of great temptations, to do 
wrong. He begged the commander not to confide in 
their promises at a moment so inauspicious for faith- 
fulness to treaties. He especially entreated him not 
to place in their hands arms and ammunition, for it 
would fearfully increase their power to carry on 
those murderous raids, which for months had spread 
terror throughout the frontier settlements. 

Heald perceived his folly, and resolved to violate 
the treaty, so far as arms and ammunition wei-e con- 
cerned. On that very evening when the Chief of 
the council seemed most friendly, a circumstance 
occurred which should have made Captain Heald 
shut the gate to his dusky neighbors, and resolve not 
to leave the fort. 

Black Partridge, a hitherto friendly Chief, and 
a man of much influence, came quietly to the Com- 
mander, and said : "Father, I came to deliver to you 
the medal I wear. It was given me by the Ameri- 
cans, and I have long worn it in token of our mutual 
fi'iendship. But our young men are resolved to 
imbrue their hands in the blood of the white people. 
I cannot restrain them and I will not wear a token 
of peace while I am compelled to act as an enemy." 

This solemn and authentic warning was strangely 
unheeded. 

The morning of the 13th was bright and cool. The 
Indians assembled in great numbers to receive their 
presents, but nothing save the goods in the store 
were distributed that day. In the evening Black 
Partridge said to Mr. Griftlth, the interpreter, 
"Linden birds have been singing in my ears today; 
be careful on the march you are going to take." 
This was another solemn warning which was com- 
municated to Captain Heald. It, too, was unheeded ; 
and at midnight, when the sentinels were all posted 
and the Indians were in their camps, a portion of 
the powder and liquor in the fort was cast into a 
well near the sally port, and the remainder into a 
canal that came up from the river far under the 
covered way. The muskets not reserved for the 



190 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

garrison were broken up, and these, with shot, bul- 
lets, flints, gunscrews and everything else pertain- 
ing to fire arms were also thrown into the well. 

A large quantity of alcohol belonging to Mr. Kin- 
zie was poured into the river, and before morning 
the destruction was complete. But the work had 
not been done in secret. The night was dark and 
vigilant Indians had crept to the fort as noiselessly 
as serpents, and their quick senses had perceived the 
destruction of what under the treaty they claimed 
as their own. 

In the morning the work of the night was made 
more manifest. The powder was seen floating upon 
the surface of the river and the sluggish water had 
been converted by whiskey and the alcohol into 
strong grog, as an eye witness remarked. 

Complaints and threatenings were loud among the 
savages, because of this breach of faith, and the 
dwellers in the fort were impressed with the dread- 
ful sense of impending destruction, when the brave 
Captain Wells, Mrs. Heald's uncle, and adopted son 
of the Chief Little Turtle, was discovered upon the 
Indian trail near the sand hills on the border of the 
lake not far distant, with a band of mounted Miamis 
of whose tribe he was considered a Chief. 

He had heard at Fort Wayne of the orders of Hull 
to evacuate Fort Dearborn, and being fully aware of 
the hostilities of the Pottawattomies, he had made a 
rapid march across the country to reinforce Captain 
Heald, assist in defending the fort or prevent its 
exposure to certain destruction by an attempt to 
reach the head of the Maumee, but he was too late. 
All means for maintaining a siege had been destroy- 
ed a few hours before, and every preparation had 
been made for leaving the post the next day. 

When the morning of the 15th arrived, there were 
positive indications that the Indians intended to 
massacre all the white people. They were over- 
whelming in numbers and held the fate of the de- 
voted band in their grasp. When at nine o'clock, 
the appointed hour, the march commenced, it was 
like a funeral procession. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 191 

The band struck up the dead march in Saul. 
Captain Wells with his face blackened, with wet gun 
powder in token of his impending fate, took the lead 
with his friendly Miamis, followed by Captain Heald 
with his heroic wife by his side. Mi". Kinzie ac- 
companied them hoping by his personal influence to 
soften, if he could not avert the impending blow. 
His family were left in a boat in charge of a friend- 
ly Indian to be conveyed around the head of the lake 
to Kinzie's trading station, on the site of the present 
village of Niles, Michigan. Slowly the procession 
moved along the lake shore, until they came to the 
sand hills between the prairie and the beach, when 
the escort of Pottawattomies, about five hundred in 
number, under the Blackbird, filed to the right and 
placed those hills between themselves and the white 
people. Wells and his Miamis had kept in the ad- 
vance, suddenly they came dashing back, the leader 
shouting, "They are about to attack us ! Form in- 
stantly." These startling words were scarcely 
uttered when a storm of bullets came from the sand 
hills, but without serious effect. 

The treacherous and cowardly Pottawattomies 
had made those hillocks their cover for a murderous 
attack. The troops hastily brought into line charged 
up the bank when one of their number, a white 
haired man of seventy years, fell dead from his 
horse, the first victim. The Indians were driven 
back, and the battle was waged on the open prairie 
between fifty-four soldiers and twelve civilians, and 
three or four women, against about five hundred In- 
dian warriors. Of course, the conflict was hopeless 
on the part of the white people, but they resolved 
to make the butchers pay dearly for every life which 
they destroyed. 

The cowardly Miamis fled at the first onset, their 
Chief rode up to the Pottawattomies, charged them 
with perfidy and brandishing his glittering toma- 
hawk declared that he would be the first to lead 
Americans to punish them. He then wheeled a^iid 
dashed after his fugitive companions who were 
scurrying over the prairies as if the evil Spirit were 



192 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

at their heels. The conflict was short, desperate and 
bloody, two-thirds of the white people were slain or 
wounded, all the horses, provisions and baggage 
were lost, and only twenty strong men remained to 
brave the fury of about five hundred Indians, who 
had lost but fifteen in the conflict. The devoted band 
had succeeded in breaking through the ranks of the 
assassins who gave way in front and rallied on the 
flank and gained a slight eminence on the prairie 
near a grove called the oak woods. 

The savages did not pursue. They gathered upon 
the sand hills in consultation, and gave signs of 
willingness to parley. 

Further conflict with them would be rashness, so 
Captain Heald, accompanied by Parish, the Clerk, a 
half-breed boy in Mr. Kinzie's service, went for- 
ward, met Blackbird on the open prairie and ar- 
ranged terms for a surrender. It was agreed that 
all the arms should be given up to Blackbird, and 
that the survivors should become prisoners of war, 
to be exchanged for ransoms as soon as practicable ; 
with this understanding, captured and captors all 
started for the Indian encampment near the fort. So 
overwhelming was the savage force at the sand hills, 
that the conflict after the first desperate charge be- 
came an exhibition of individual prowess, a life and 
death struggle in w^hich no one could render any 
assistance to his neighbor, for all were principles. 
In this conflict women bore a conspicuous part. All 
fought gallantly so long as strength permitted them. 
The brave ensign, Ronan, wielded his weapon even 
when falling upon his knees because of loss of blood. 

Captain Wells displayed the greatest coolness and 
gallantry. He was by the side of his niece when the 
conflict began. "We have not the slightest chance for 
life", he said. *'We must part to meet no more in this 
world, God bless you, my child." With these words 
he dashed forward with the rest. In the midst of 
the fight he saw a young warrior, painted like a 
demon, climb into a wagon in which were twelve 
children of the white people, and tomahawk them 
all. Forgetting his own immediate danger Wells ex- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 193 

claimed, "If that is your game, butchering women 
and children, I'll kill too." He instantly dashed to- 
ward the Indian camp where they had left their 
squaws and little ones, hotly pursued by swift footed 
young warriors, who sent many rifle balls after him. 
He lay close to his horse's neck, and turned and fired 
occasionally upon his pursuers ; when he had got 
almost beyond the range of their rifles, a ball killed 
his horse and wounded him severely on the leg. 
The young savages rushed forward with a demoniac 
yell to make him a prisoner and reserve him for a 
torture, for he was to them an arch off'ender. 

His friends, Winnemeg and Wanbansee, vainly 
attempted to save him from his fate. He knew the 
temper and practices of the savages well, and re- 
solved not to be made captive. He taunted them 
with the most insulting epithets to provoke them 
to kill him instantly. At length he called one of 
the fiery young warriors (Persotum) a Squaw, 
which so enraged him, that he killed Wells instantly 
with a tomahawk; jumped upon his body, cut 
out his heart, and ate a portion of the warm and 
half palpitating morsel with savage delight. 

The wife of Captain Heald, who was an expert 
with the rifle and an excellent equestrian, deported 
herself bravely. She received severe wounds, but 
faint and bleeding she managed to keep the saddle. 
A savage raised his tomahawk to kill her when she 
looked him full in the face and with a sweet, melan- 
choly smile, said in the Indian tongue, "Surely you 
will not kill a squaw." The appeal was effectual. 
The arm of the savage fell and the life of the heroic 
woman was saved. Mrs. Helm, the stepdaughter of 
Mr. Kinzie, had a severe personal encounter with a 
stalwart young Indian, who attempted to tomahawk 
her. She sprang to one side and received the blow 
intended for her head, upon her shoulder, and at 
the same instant she seized the savage around the 
neck and endeavored to get hold of his scalping 
knife, which hung in a sheath upon his breast. 
While thus struggling, she was dragged from her 
antagonist by another Indian, who bore her, in spite 



194 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

of her desperate resistance, to the margin of the 
lake, and plunged in at the same time, to her aston- 
ishment holding her so that she would not drown. 
She soon perceived she was held by a friendly hand. 
It M'as Black Partridge, who had saved her. 
When the firing ceased and capitulation was con- 
cluded he conducted her to the prairie where she 
met her father and heard her husband was safe. 
Bleeding and suffering she was conducted to the 
Indian camp by Black Partridge and Persotum, 
the latter carrying in his hand a scalp which she 
knew to be that of Captain Wells, by the black rib- 
bon that bound the queue. The wife of a soldier 
named Gorford believing that all prisoners were 
reserved for torture, fought desperately and suf- 
fered herself to be literally cut in pieces rather than 
surrender. 

The wife of Sergeant Holt, who was badly wound- 
ed in his neck at the beginning of the engagement, 
received from him his sword and behaved as brave- 
ly as any Amazon. She was a large and powerful 
woman, and rode a fine, high spirited horse, which 
the Indians coveted. Several of them attacked 
her with the butt of their guns for the purpose of 
dismounting her, but she used her sword so skil- 
fully that she foiled them. She suddenly wheeled 
her horse and dashed over the prairie, followed by 
a large number, who shouted, "The brave woman! 
brave woman! don't hurt her!" They finally over- 
took her and while two or three were engaging her 
in front, a powerful savage seized her by the neck 
and dragged her backward to the ground. The 
horse and woman became prizes. The latter was 
afterward ransomed. 

When the captives were taken to the Indian camp, 
a new scene of horrors was opened; the wounded, 
according to the Indians interpretation of the capit- 
ulation, were not included in the terms of surrender. 

Proctor had offered a liberal sum for scalps de- 
livered at Maiden. So nearly all the wounded men 
were killed and the value of British bounty, such 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 195 

as is sometimes offered for the destruction of wolves, 
was taken from each 'head. 

In this tragedj^ Mrs. Heald played a part, but 
fortunately escaped scalping. In order to save her 
fine horse, the Indians had aimed at the rider. Sev- 
en bullets took effect upon her person. Her captor, 
who was about to slay her upon the battlefield, as 
we have seen, left her in the saddle, and led her 
horse toward the camp. When in sight of the fort 
his inquisitiveness overpowered his gallantry, and 
he was taking her bonnet off her head in order to 
scalp her when she was discovered by Mrs. Kinzie, 
who was yet sitting in the boat, and who had heard 
the tumult of the conflict; but without any intima- 
tion of the result, until she saw the wounded woman 
in the hands of her savage captive. "Run! run! 
Chandonnai I" exclaimed Mrs. Kinzie, to one of her 
husband's clerks, who was standing on the beach. 
"That is Mrs. Heald. He is going to kill her ! Take 
that mule and offer it as a ransom." Chandonnai 
promptly obeyed and increased the bribe by offer- 
ing in addition two bottles of whiskey. These w^ere 
worth more than Proctor's bounty, and Mrs. Heald 
was released. She was placed in Mrs. Kinzie's 
boat and there concealed from the prying eyes of 
other, scalp hunters. Toward evening the family of 
Mr. Kinzie were allowed to return to their own 
house where they were greeted by the friendly Black 
Partridge. Mrs. Helm was placed in the house of 
Onilmette, a Frenchman, by the same friendly hand. 

But these and all the other prisoners were ex- 
posed to great jeopardy by the arrival of a band 
of fierce Pottawattomies, from the Wabash, who 
yearned for blood and plunder. They searched the 
houses for prisoners with keen vision, and when no 
further concealment and safety seemed possible, 
some friendly Indians arrived and so turned the tide 
of affairs that the Wabash savages were ashamed to 
own their bloodthirsty intentions. 

In this terrible tragedy in the wilderness one 
hundred and six years ago, twelve children, all the 
masculine civilians but Mr. Kinzie and his sons, 



196 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

Captain Wells, Surgeon VanVorhees, Ensign Ronan 
and twenty-six private soldiers were murdered. 

The prisoners were divided among the captors and 
were finally reunited or restored to their friends 
and families. Of all the sad tragedies to which 
human life is susceptible, none surpassed that of the 
death of Captain William Wells. The English lan- 
guage in its rich vocabulary of words fails to ex- 
press adequately the courage and heroism manifest- 
ed by this little band of men and women on that 
fatal Saturday morning of August 15, 1812. The 
day dawned clear and warm, and as Seymour Curry, 
tells us, in his "Story of Old Fort Dearborn", 
scarcely a breath of air was stirring. The lake, 
unruffled, stretched away in a sheet of burnished 
gold. But the gold which shown most brilliant on 
that fatal day was that of this immortal band, which 
towered to the hall of fame. We, the children of 
this noble heritage, should learn to love and adore, 
and above all to guard the free institutions under 
which we live and for which they died. 

"A tale of war, a tale of woe; 
A tale of savage wild o'erflow; 
A tale of dark and bloody hue ; 
Of old Fort Dearborn, a story true." 



XII. 
THE ROYAL LINE. 

AQUE-NOCH-QUAH. 

Perhaps the first detailed description of the ]\Iiami 
Chieftain by a white man was that given by Father 
Charlevoix, who visited the Miami and Pottawat- 
tomie villages on the river St. Joseph of Lake Mich- 
igan in 1721. 

He said, "Some days after I went to make a visit 
to the Miami Chief who had sent word that I was 
expected. He was a big, well-made man, badly dis- 
figured by the loss of his nose, which they told me 
happened in some drunken carouse. When he heard 
that I was coming, he planted himself, crosslegged, 
on a sort of low platform, at the bottom of his hut. 
after the manner of the Grand Turk, and there I 
found him. He talked little, and appeared much to 
affect a proud gravity, which, however, he carried 
off indiflferently". 

From this brief description we are impressed with 
the fact that the Miami Indians suffered from the 
use of intoxicating liquors which they secured from 
traders at an early date. It also seems that the 
chiefs at an early date appreciated the dignity of 
their office and strove to leave an impression of 
strength and power. 

We do not know the name of the chief mentioned 
by Charlevoix, but the time and circumstances men- 
tioned, would seem to indicate that he was the father 
of Aquenochquah, who was the first chief known to 
rule the Miamis after their return from the west or 
northwest, whither they had probably been driven 
by the fierce and cruel wars of the Iroquois Con- 
federacy which commenced about 1640, and contin- 
ued at intervals for a period of some thirty years. 
The Miamis, it seems, could not successfully with- 
stand the continued assaults of the Iroquois Con- 

197 



198 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

federacy and after a serious loss of many warriors 
fled to the westward where in time they formed a 
great Confederacy of the western tribes and re- 
newed the conflict with their former enemies with 
great vigor. This was the condition of affairs when 
the French made their first appearance in this part 
of the western world. They immediately gave their 
assistance to the Miami Confederacy giving as a 
reason that they wished to establish peace among 
the nations in order to further their interests in 
the promotion of the fur trade with the Indians. 

A great and decisive battle was fought somewhere 
on the banks of the Maumee, between the French 
and their Indian allies and the Iroquois in which the 
latter suffered a great defeat. This battle lasted 
two or three days and was soon followed by a lasting 
peace, thus leaving the Miamis in full possession 
of their old homes and hunting grounds. 

It is said that Aque-noch-quah, the father of Lit- 
tle Turtle, then a young warrior, won great renown 
in this battle on account of his skill in planning an 
ambush in which hundreds of the Iroquois were 
slain. Hence he was made head war chief of the 
Miamis, while yet very young. 

He located his village on the site of what is since 
known as the Little Turtle town twenty miles north- 
west of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Here he lived with 
his Mohican squaw, surrounded by a great Miami 
village, a veritable garden spot of northern Indiana. 
Here it was that his children were born. Mes-she- 
kin-no-quah, in 1752 ; Tah-cum-wah, wife of Joseph 
Richardville ; the first wife of Captain William 
Wells, and possibly other children. These three, 
however, are all that ever came to the public notice. 

News of the declaration of war against Great 
Britain by France in 1744, was the signal for more 
aggressive movements in America than had already 
existed. The British succeeded in making several 
important treaties with the six nations at Lancas- 
ter, Pa. ; also with tribes in Ohio and Indiana at the 
same time. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 199 

One of the three leading chiefs who pledged loy- 
alty to the British at this noted treaty at Lancaster 
was Aque-noch-quah, whose son was to play a prom- 
inent part in the tragic life of the frontier a gen- 
eration later. 

The following is a literal copy of the first treaty 
between the English authorities and the Twightwees, 
or Miami Indians representing twelve villages sit- 
uated on the borders of the river Wabash and Mau- 
mee as it was signed by Aque-noch-quah, at Lancas- 
ter, Pa., the 23d of July, 1748: "Whereas at an 
Indian Treaty held at Lancaster, in the county of 
Lancaster in the province of Pennsylvania, on Wed- 
nesday the 23d day of July instant, before the. Hon- 
orable Benjamin Shoemaker, Joseph Turner and 
William Logan, Esquires, by virtue of a commis- 
sioner the great Seal of said Province dated at 
Philadelphia the 16th day of said month, three 
Indian Chiefs, Deputies from the Twightwees, a 
nation of Indians situated on or about the river 
Ouabache, a branch of the river Mississippi, viz: 
Aque-noch-quah, Asepansa, Natocequeha appeared 
in behalf of themselves and their nations and prayed 
that the Twightwees might be admitted into the 
friendship and alliance of the King of Great Britain 
and his subjects, professing on their parts to become 
true and faithful friends and allies to the English 
and so forever to continue, and Scayroyiady, Cad- 
arianirha Chiefs of the Oneda nation ; Swehrachery 
of the Seneca nation ; Cani-ineco-don, Cunlyuchqua, 
Echnissia of the Mohawks; Dawachcamicky, Dom- 
iny. Buck, Ossoghqua of the Shawanese; and Nan- 
atchiehon of the Delawares, all of them nations in 
friendship and alliance with the English, becoming 
earnest intercessors with the said commissioners on 
their behalf, the prayer of the said deputies of the 
Twightwees was granted, a firm treaty of alliance 
and friendship was then stipulated and agreed on 
between the said commissioners and the said depu- 
ties of the Twightwees nation, as by the records of 
council remaining at Philadelphia in the said pro- 
vince may more fully appear. 



200 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

"Now these presents witness and it is hereby de- 
clared that the said nation of Indians called the 
Twightwees are accepted by the said commissioners 
as good friends and that they, the said Twightwees, 
and the subjects of the King of Great Britain shall 
forever hereafter be as one head and one heart 
and live in true friendship as one people. 

"In consideration whereof the said Aque-noch- 
quah, Assepansa, Natocequeha, Deputies of the said 
Twightwees nation do hereby, in behalf of the said 
nation, covenant, promise and declare that the gen- 
eral people of the said Twightwee nation or any of 
them shall not at any time hurt, injure or defraud 
or suffer to be hurt, injured or defrauded any of the 
subjects of the King of Great Britain, either in 
their persons or estates. But shall at all times read- 
ily do justice and perform to them all acts and 
offices of friendship and good will. 

"Item 1 — That the said Twightwee nation, by the 
alliance aforesaid, becoming entitled to the privi- 
lege and protection of the English laws, they shall 
at all times behave themselves regularly and sober- 
ly according to the laws of this government, whilst 
they shall live or be amongst or near the christian 
inhabitants thereof. 

"Item 2 — That none of the said nation shall at 
any time be aiding, assisting or abetting to, or with 
any nation whether of Indians or others that shall 
not be in amity with the crown of England and the 
government. 

"Item 3 — That if at any time any of the Twight- 
wee nation, by means of evil minded persons and 
sowers of sedition, should hear of any unkind or dis- 
advantageous reports of the English as if they had 
evil designs against any of the said Indians ; in such 
case such Indians shall send notice thereof to the 
governor of the Province for the time being and 
shall not give credit to the reports till by that means 
they shall be fully satisfied of the truth thereof. 

"And it is agreed that the English in such case 
shall do the same by them. In testimony whereof 
as well, the said commissioners as the said deputies 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 201 

of the Twightwee nation have smoked the cakimet 
pipe, made mutual presents to each other and here- 
unto set their hands and seals the twenty-third day 
of July in the year of our Lord one thousand seven 
hundred and forty-eight and in the twenty-second 
year of the reign of George the Second, King of 
Great Britain and Ireland, defender of the faith 
V. e." 

The treaty was signed, sealed and delivered in the 
presence of Reverend Peters, Secretary; Conrad 
Wiesner, Interpreter; Andrew Montour, Interpre- 
ter; Geo. Coghan, John Forsythe, Conrad Doll, Mi- 
chael Hubby, Andrew Perit, Thomas Cookson, Peter 
Warrall, Ed. Smout, Simon Kuhn, David Stout and 
George Smith. 

Aque-noch-quah participated in another treaty 
with the English in 1760, when he and certain other 
chiefs of the six nations met General George Wash- 
ington at Philadelphia where differences between 
the colonists and Indians were adjusted, certain 
trade concessions were made and right to travel 
routes were granted. 

General Washington, in recognition of this chief's 
skill as a diplomat, presented him with a parchment 
with an inscription burned on it as an expression 
of good will toward the Miamis. 

It seems that none of the writers of history have 
given this famed chief more than a dozen lines. One 
student of the early day in the old northwest says 
that Aque-noch-quah was a young warrior during 
the time that the Miamis and other Indian tribes 
had their war with the Iroquois and in the battles 
with them had distinguished himself by his brav- 
ery, at one time having planned and conducted an 
ambuscade that brought crushing defeat to an army 
of Iroquois much larger than his own. 

The death of his father, soon after this successful 
ambuscade, made Aque-noch-quah his successor as 
great chief of all the Miamis. Like his famous son. 
Little Turtle, he was a man of superior ability, 
shrewd in his dealings with the white men, and 
carefully guarded the interests of his nation. He 



202 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

was probably born in the last decade of the seven- 
teenth century and all evidence points to the place 
as a site on the river St. Joseph of Lake Michigan, 
near the location of the present city of South Bend, 
Indiana. Nor does history give us the name of his 
father. He, however, was a fullblooded Indian, not 
a drop of the blood of any other race being inter- 
mingled in his veins. At this time the French blood 
had not become infused into the royal Miami line 
that gave to the tribe its principal chieftains. 

Joseph Drouet DeRichardville, a fullblooded 
Frenchman married Tah-cum-wah, Aque-noch- 
quah's daughter and Captain William Wells for his 
first wife is said to have married another daughter, 
both sisters to the distinguished Chief Me-she-kin- 
no-quah, 

CHIEF RICHARDVILLE. 

Little Turtle was succeeded in the chieftainship of 
the Miami nation by one Lagrisse, called Pechon, 
w^ho reigned but a few months until his death in 
1815. At this crisis the line of descent turned back 
to the famous Richardville family. 

Joseph Drouet DeRichardville was the son of 
Antoine Drouet DeRichardville. and was a descend- 
ant of the French nobility. He emigrated to Can- 
ada and thence to Vincennes where he early engaged 
as a fur trader. His son Joseph was interested in 
the trading business with his father, and in his ne- 
gotiations with the Indians visited the Miami In- 
dians at Kekionga. Their visits convinced him of 
the superior advantages of this point as a trading 
station and the fact that Ta-cum-wah, a Miami 
maiden here had become infatuated with him, and 
he with her, led him to decide to make this historic 
place his trade headquarters. This he did in 1763, 
and shortly afterward married this Indian girl, who 
was the daughter of Aque-noch-quah, then the 
great chief of the Miamis and the sister of Little 
Turtle. 

No doubt there was real affection on the part of 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 



203 



Ta-cum-wah in the courtship, marriage and honey- 
moon, but as far as DeRichardville was concerned 
it was to a large extent a "poHcy marriage". This 
alHance immediately placed him in the confidence of 
the Indians, enabling him to drive bargains suited 
to his liking, and wandering traders coming here 
at an early day found that he practically monopo- 
lized the trading business in this region. 




CHIEF KICHARDVILLE (PE-CHE-WA.) 

The home of DeRichardville an^ his Miami wife 
for some time after their marriage was in a hut 
in what is now Lakeside, a suburb of Fort Wayne, 
Indiana, near the historic old apple tree. The lat- 
ter landmark remained standing until the close 
of the last century, but with the march of civ- 
ilization, finally fell a victim to the homeseeking 



204 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

woodsman's axe. It was in this hut near this 
old apple tree that their famed son John B. Rich- 
ard ville (Pe-she-wa), afterward chief of the 
Miamis, was born about 1764. Inheriting this no- 
ble French blood on his father's side, his abilities 
were such, it is said, as well adapted him to direct 
the affairs of the Miamis, and for many years his 
house on the banks of the St. Marys river, about 
four miles from Fort Wayne, was known as the 
abode of hospitality. 

At the time of his death, August 13, 1841, Pe-che- 
wa w^as regarded as the wealthiest Indian in North 
America. His property and money, is said to have 
been valued at more than a million dollars. Much 
of this came as a result of his own private busi- 
ness for he was extensively engaged in trade, and 
much from his mother, Tah-cum-wah, he being the 
only child. His mother, who for thirty years was 
the Chieftess of the Miamis, conducted the portage 
business — the transportation of goods and furs 
across the country to and from the waters of the 
Maumee and Wabash. This business she monopo- 
lized for many years and from it made large sums 
of money, even as much as one hundred dollars a 
day. Through the treaties made by the government 
with the Indians, Richardville and his mother were 
given large tracts of land. In the treaty of St. 
Marys, made in 1818, a reserve of three sections 
of land, principally located four miles up the St. 
Marys river from Fort Wayne, was granted to him. 
This land, at his death, went to his heirs, among 
whom were three daughters, Lablonda, Susan and 
Catherine. 

The Godfreys, for years an interesting Indian 
family in this section of the state, are the descend- -^ 

ants of Lablondaj|and Francis Lafontaine, the last " 't 

real chief of the Miamis was a descendant of Cath- . ';^ 

erine. '7.';i\u'K'4''^v7 

During the years of Richardville's incumbency ^ > > ■; '^•^' **• 
there were no serious troubles of a warlike char- -{-AKiJ^r^ <r/ 
acter at this point. His duties were principally '• ■ \i^ 
those of a civil ruler and took only a portion of his ^j 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 205 

time, allowing him to devote much energy to his 
own business. The trading house which he con- 
ducted was located on Columbia street. There he 
transacted great business until 1836, when he moved 
his merchandise to the forks of the Wabash. His 
home on the Richardville reserve, he retained. This 
was a palatial residence for the days in which it 
was built. The government had allowed him five 
hundred dollars for this purpose, and to this sum he 
had added money of his own. Most of the closing 
years of his life were devoted to farming. His re- 
mains were buried in the Catholic cemetery, then 
located on the Cathedral Square. Over this his 
daughters erected a handsome and costly monument. 
It was afterward removed with Richardville's re- 
mains to the Catholic burying grounds, in the south- 
western part of the city, and later in 1875, to the 
Catholic cemetery east of the city. 

Bearing the marks of time and the defacements 
of its removals, it stands there today attracting the 
attention of many of the visitors to this beautiful 
city of the dead. 

His father, Drouet De Richardville, was a French 
trader here for some years before, and after the 
fatal expedition of LaBalme, in 1780. Among the 
many interesting incidents frequently recited by the 
late Chief John B. Richardville to Allen Hamilton, 
he gave some years ago an account of his ascending 
to the chieftainship of his tribe. The occasion was 
not only thrilling and heroic, but on the part of his 
famous mother and himself, will ever stand in his- 
tory as one of the noblest and most humane acts 
known to any people; and would serve as a theme 
both grand and eloquent for the most gifted poet 
or dramatist of any land. 

It was a wild and barbarous period in the waning 
days of the Miamis. Kekionga still occasionally 
echoed with the shrieks and groans of captive men, 
and the young warriors still rejoiced in the barbaric 
custom of burning prisoners at the stake, a custom 
long in vogue with the Miamis here. A white man 
had been captured and brought in by the warriors. 



206 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

A council had been convened in which the question 
of his fate arose in debate and was soon settled. 
He was to be burned at the stake, and the braves 
and villagers generally were soon gathered about 
the prospective scene of torture, making the very 
air resound with their vociferations and gratifica- 
tions at the prosp^t of soon enjoying another hour 
of fiendish merriment at the expense of a poor, 
miserable victim of torture. Already the man was 
lashed to the stake and the torch that was to ignite 
the combustible material placed about him, was in 
the hands of the brave appointed to feed the flame 
that was so soon to consume the victim of their 
cruelty. But the spirit of rescue was at hand. The 
man was destined to be saved from the terrible 
fate that surrounded him. 

Young Richardville had for some time been 
singled out as the future chief of the tribe, and his 
heroic mother saw in this a propitious and glorious 
moment for the assertion of his chieftainship, by an 
act of great daring and bravery in the rescue of the 
prisoner at the stake. All eyes were now fixed upon 
the captive. Young Richardville and his mother 
were some distance from the general scene, but suf- 
ficiently near to see the movements of the actors in 
the tragedy about to be enacted, and could plainly 
hear the coarse ejaculations. At that critical mo- 
ment when the torch was about to be applied to the 
bark, as if touched by some angelic impulse of love 
and pity for the poor captive, the mother of young 
Richardville placed a knife in her son's hand and 
bade him assert his chieftainship by the rescue of 
the prisoner. The magnetic force of the mother 
seemed instantly to have convulsed and inspired the 
young warrior, and he quickly bounded away to the 
scene, broke through the wild crowd, cut the cords 
that bound the man and bade him be free ! 

All were astonished and surprised, and by no 
means pleased at the loss of their prize, yet the 
young man, their favorite for his heroic, daring 
conduct, was at once esteemed a god of the crowd, 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 207 

and then and thereafter became a chief of the first 
distinction and honor in the tribe. 

The thoughtful and heroic mother of Richardville 
now took the man in charge, quietly placed him in 
a canoe and covered him with hides and peltries. 
With the assistance of some friendly Indians, he 
was soon gliding safely down the placid current of 
the Maumee beyond the scene of the turbulent 
warriors and village of Kekionga. The rescue was 
complete. 

Some years subsequent to this event, on a trip to 
Washington City he stopped for a little while at a 
town in Ohio. Here a man came up to him and 
suddenly recognizing in the stranger the counten- 
ance of his benefactor and deliverer of years before, 
threw his arms about the chief's neck and embraced 
him with all the warmth of filial affection and grati- 
tude. He was indeed the rescued prisoner ; and the 
meeting between the chief and the man was of min- 
gled pleasure and surprise. 

In stature the chief was about five feet ten inches, 
with broad shoulders, and weighed about one hun- 
dred and eighty pounds. His personal appearance 
was attractive, and being graceful in carriage and 
manner, he bore the marks of a finished gentleman. 
Exempt from any expression of levity, a simple 
child of nature, he is said to have impressed his 
dignity under all circumstances. His eyes were of 
a lightish blue and slightly protruding ; his upper lip 
firmly pressed upon his teeth and the under one 
slightly projecting ; his nose was of the Roman type 
and the whole contour of his face was classic and 
attractive. 

According to David H. Colerick, Esq., who was 
intimately associated with the chief, as his attor- 
ney and transacted much of his business for many 
years, Richardville was considered the wisest and 
most sagacious chief of all the Indians of the entire 
northwest, and was the successful head and ruler 
of the Miami tribe for more than twenty-five years 
previous to his death in 1841. His mother, the sis- 
ter of Little Turtle, was a most remarkable woman. 



208 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

Her son Peshewa was endowed with a mind some- 
y^ what i^assive. Being a rather close observer and 
apt in his business transactions, he was always ex- 
tremely careful in what he undertook. A most pa- 
tient listener, his reticence often assumed almost 
the form of extreme indifference ; yet such was far 
from his nature, for he ever exercised the warmest 
and most attentive regard for all his people and 
mankind in general, and the needy never called in 
vain. His kind and charitable hand was never 
withheld from the distressed of his own people or 
from the stranger; he was beloved and esteemed by 
all who knew him. 

He spoke French and English as well as his na- 
tive tongue. Senator John Tipton, who knew Rich- 
ardville well, had this to say of him, "He was 
the ablest diplomat of whom I have any knowledge. 
If he had been born and educated in France he 
would have been the equal of Tallyrand". 

The portrait of Chief John B. Richardville (Pe- 
chewa) is after an old painting in possession of his 
granddaughter, Mrs. Archangel Engleman, of Hunt- 
ington county, Indian*. 

He was a signer of the Treaty of GreeneVille. 

An interesting anecdote is related, which throws 
an interesting light on the character of this chief. 
"Who is the young man with you as your clerk?" 
The speaker was John B. Richardville the chief of 
the Miamis. The question was put to Captain Sam- 
uel C. Vance, who had been sent to the pioneer as 
registrar for the land office established here by the 
government for the sale of lands acquired from the 
Indians. The time was midsummer of the year 
1823. The two men, one an Indian of half blood, 
tall, and of commanding appearance, and the other 
a white man in whom the military and business 
mould, as one could see at a glance, were combined, 
were standing in front of the government Council 
House on what is East Main street near the old 
fort. The Miami chief as he asked the question 
pointed through the open doorway to a young man 
seated at a table in the Council House busily en- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 209 

gaged in writing. *'That/' replied Capt. Vance, to 
the question of the chief, "is my clerk Allen Ham- 
ilton. I want you to get acquainted with him," and 
the two men passed into the building and Chief 
Richard vi lie was introduced to young Hamilton, the 
beginning of a strong friendship, that contin- 
ued through both their lives and contributed much 
to the material advancement of both. For Mr. 
Hamilton was afterward for years the confidential 
advisor of the Miami chief in business affairs. 

As illustrative of this close friendship between the 
two, an interesting incident is related in an old 
sketch of the life of Mv. Hamilton. On one occasion 
Mr. Hamilton, who had come into possession of a 
splendid horse, a fine looking high spirited animal, 
M'as riding it along Columbia street, and stopped in 
front of the place where Richardville had a trading 
house. He called the chief out to talk over a busi- 
ness matter. This finished, the Indian began an 
examination of the horse and expressed his admira- 
tion of the animal. "That's fine horse, Mr. Hamil- 
ton, one of the finest I ever saw," he said.. 'T strike 
on that horse." This latter expression was one used 
frequently by the Indians when they saw- anything 
that pleased their fancy and they very much desired 
to have. Mr. Hamilton saw his opportunity to win 
the good graces of the chief, who by the reserva- 
tions of land granted by the government and in his 
business as a trader had become quite wealthy, re- 
plied to the Indian's remark, "Well, Chief, it's 
yours. I make you a present of the horse", and 
immediately dismounting, he turned the animal over 
to Richardville as a gift. Not very long after that 
the two were riding together through the country 
some distance south of Fort Wayne on a matter of 
business, and passing sevei-al fine tracts of land 
land which belonged to Chief Richardville, one of 
these particularly fine ones pleased Mr. Hamilton 
greatly, and turning to his half breed friend with a 
merry twinkle in his eyes he said: "Well, Chief, I 
strike on that section." "It's yours", answered the 
chief, "I make you a deed for it, but we won't strike 



210 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

any more". The next day he made a deed for the 
section of land and handed it to Mr. Hamilton as a 
gift. 

CHIEF LAFONTAINE. 

We now pass from Richardville to his son-in-law, 
Francis LaFontaine (Topeah), who became the last 
real chief of the Miamis in 1841. 

LaFontaine was born in the Indian village near 
Fort Wayne in 1810, and when twenty-one years of 
age was married to Catherine, daughter of John B. 
Richardville. Upon the death of his father-in-law 
he made his home and headquarters for a time in 
the Richardville mansion. He had been chief five 
years when, with the Miami tribe from the head- 
waters of the Maumee and the Wabash, he went to 
the new government reservation in the west. He 
remained there only a few months and then started 
on his return to Indiana. At St. Louis he was tak- 
en ill. He persisted, however, in continuing his 
homeward trip and at LaFayette, Indiana, his con- 
dition became so serious that he could proceed no 
further. Here on April 13, 1847, he died, at the age 
of only thirty-seven years. 

His remains were taken to Huntington, where they 
were buried. It is claimed that he did not die a 
natural death, but as the result of poison secretly 
administered to him by members of his own tribe, 
while he was in the west, because he was about 
to desert them and return to his home in Indiana. 
The following story was told to a newspaper corre- 
spondent several years ago on the occasion of a 
visit to Huntington, near which city LaFontaine's 
daughter, Mrs. Archangel Engleman, then lived. 
"Father went with the Miamis, when they removed 
to their reservation in the west. He was never sat- 
isfied there and when the members of the tribe 
learned that he was coming back they threatened to 
kill him. Some sort of slow poison was administered 
to him and as a result of this he died while enroute 
home." 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 211 

Before his final departure for the west he had 
built an elegant and substantial residence, on the 
reservation west of Huntington, Indiana. It is still 
occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Archangel Engle- 
man, her children and grandchildren. The house is 
located on the route of the Fort Wayne and northern 
Indiana traction line, directly opposite the Club 
House of the Huntington County Club, which organ- 
ization leases its tract from Mrs. Engleman. The 
house is roomy, well furnished and a delightful and 
hospitable home. 

Francis LaFontaine, chief of the Miamis, has been 
honored by his name being attached to a beautiful 
country town in the southern part of Wabash coun- 
ty, Indiana, 

Upon his death, the chieftiancy passed to his 
grandson, Joseph LaFontaine Engleman, the eldest 
son of Mrs. Archangel Engleman. With the death 
of the latter chief, which occurred at the home 
west of Huntington March 3, 1914, the last chief 
of the Miamis passed away. 

The order was sent forth by the LaFontaine- 
Engleman family that no more chiefs were to be 
elected by the remnant of the Miamis. 

Death and amalgamation with the dominant race 
having finally destroyed the last organized remnant 
of this great tribe. 

Mrs. Engleman remarked on the death of her son, 
that the office held in high esteem from immemorial 
ages by the once powerful Miamis died with him, 
and became a past honor. 

"Yes, say they have all passed away. 
That noble race and brave; 
That their light canoes have vanished 

From off the crested wave; 
That 'mid the forests where they roamed 

There rings no hunter's shout. 

But their names are on our waters 

And ye cannot wash them out." 

— Mrs. Sigourney. 



XIII. 

KIL-SO-QUAH — THE PRINCESS. 

Kil-so-quah, daughter of Wak-shin-gay (The Cres- 
cent Moon) and Wah-wa-ka-mo-kwa (the First 
Snow Woman) , who was the daughter of She-nock- 
e-wish, one of the bravest of the Miami warriors. 

Kil-so-quah was born near the Wabash river, a 
short distance west of Huntington, Indiana, May, 
1810. Her first husband was a Miami Indian (nick- 
named John Owl) . His death occurred shortly af- 
ter their marriage. She then married Anthony Re- 
varre, whose Indian name was Shoop-in-a-wah (or 




KIL-SO-QUAH (THE SETTING SUN) 

Full blooded Miami Indian and Granddaughter of Chief Little Turtle. 
Born May, 1810. Died September 4, 1915. 

Thunder Storm). He was a half breed French and 
Indian trader. He died in 1846, and was buried 
by the side of Chief Coessie, near Roanoke, Indiana. 
On August 4, 1913, the writer of these pages, in 
company with Mr. J. M. Stouder, paid a visit to 
Roanoke, sixteen miles southwest of Fort Wayne, 
Huntington county, and called on Dr. S. Koontz, who 
kindly directed us to the home of Kil-so-quah (The 
Setting Sun) , about a mile distant. We found her 
seated in a great arm rocking chair, enjoying reason- 

212 



CP THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 213 

ably good health for one of her age. with eyesight 
somewhat dim. After introduction and presents of 
tobacco and other trinkets being made, and the 
smoking ceremony finished, a conversation followed, 
through the son Tony" as interpreter, she being 
unable to speak English. Mr. Stouder mentioned 
the accidental find of the grave of her grandfather, 
and the care he had taken to place a marker over 
the remains, so the exact spot could never again be- 
come lost and of the prospect in the near future of a 
suitable monument to mark the grave. The writer 
confirmed this statement of facts, having seen 
the marble slab with name and date thereon: 
"Little Turtle, Born 1752, Died 1812". She asked 
about the relics found with him. which she 
thought unquestionable, and seemed very much 
pleased when informed that they were all together 
in one case in a fireproof building, and would be 
sacredly preserved. When we left the place she 
desired her son to inform us that she fervently 
thanked God for the interest the two white men took 
in honoring her with a visit, and especially for the 
tribute of honor paid by them to her distinguished 
grandfather. 

A copy of the Journal-Gazette contained an article 
at the time of the discovery of Little Turtle's re- 
mains, which was taken to her, and before her son 
commenced to read it, she gave a very accurate ac- 
count of the location of the grave and told, within 
a few hundred feet, where it was located. She 
told of the sword, and described the various things 
which were buried with him, on account of his rank. 
She claimed she had seen him often, and remem- 
bered distinctly of combing his hair, and of being 
his favorite grandchild. She said during her young- 
er days she had often visited his grave. She was 
two years and two months old when her grandfather 
died. 

Mrs. Matilda Wheelock, in the Lidianapolis Star 
of August 22, 1909, tells us that the old chief, her 
royal grandfather, used to come to her father's 
home at IMiami Park, west of Huntington, and com- 



214 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

plaining that his hair had not been combed for many 
days, smihng a whimsical invitation for his tiny 
granddaughter to perform that service for him. 
"Whereupon," she continues, "the little Kil-so-quah 
climbed into the royal lap, planted her sturdy feet 
firmly upon the chieftain's knee, and with his arms 
to steady her, delightfully proceeded with her pleas- 
ing task." 

Those familiar with the traditions of the Miamis, 
say that the girl as a child delighted to torment her 
grandfather by pulling his hair and playing child- 
ish pranks upon him. She says her mother often 
told her that she was born during the Great Spirit's 
cheerful smile, as the wild woods were full of 
flowers and the wild berries near at hand. 

Kil-so-quah, as a littile papoose two or three years 
old, sat on the knee of the greatest Miami Indian 
ever known, more than one hundred (100) years 
ago, and as she combed his hair the great chief told 
her the story of the battle of Fort St. Clair, near 
Eaton, Ohio, in which Little Turtle so disastrously 
defeated Major Adair, and his Kentuckians. She 
says that he was very proud of his appearance, and 
especially of his raven black hair, which, to comb 
and braid was a favorite pastime for him and her 
alike. She remembers distinctly of his going to 
sleep purposely, and of whacking him on the head 
with the back of the comb in order to keep him 
awake. 

Kil-so-quah had a remarkable memory and loved 
to talk of this battle, through her son Anthony Re- 
varre. She had a vivid recollection of what was 
called "the falling of the stars", November 13, 1833. 

Her son was known to the Indians and white peo- 
ple as Little White Loon (Wah-pl-mon-qwah) in 
order to distinguish him from his uncle White 
Loon, who died at the age of one hundred and ten 
years (110), and is still remembered by the old 
settlers of Roanoke for his wild rides on a terrified 
pony, when he was under the influence of liquor. 

Kil-so-quah, last of the full blooded Miami Indian 
royalty, who lived in the Wabash or Maumee valley 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 215 

before the white man overran Indiana, died Satur- 
day morning at 3:30 a. m., September 4, 1915, at her 
home one mile southeast of Roanoke. The old Indian 
Princess had been confined to her bed for two weeks 
and was seriously ill for several days. Friday she 
had rallied from a semi-conscious state and then 
Saturday morning the end came suddenly. She died 
quietly, without a struggle, for death was only a 
break in the well worn thread of life. She v;as one 
hundred and five (105) years old the preceding May. 
At the bedside at the time of her death, were the 
faithful son "Tony", Dr. Koontz and a few kind 
friends. 

Her name, 'The Setting Sun", is curiously appro- 
priate, since she is the last full blooded representa- 
tive of a barbarous tribe pi'ominent in early Amer- 
ican history. For, while to us their defense of their 
vast lands, of which they could use only a part, 
seems selfish, yet it was none other than the crop- 
ping out of that instinct common to all of us — an 
iron willed desire to keep that which we rightfully 
own. 

Kil-so-quah was, without a doubt, one of the most 
interesting survivors of the royal families of the 
vanishing race. She had retained her native lan- 
guage, and, to a large extent, the customs of the 
Indians through years of contact with none of her 
race, except her son Anthony Revarre. 

She learned probably less than a score of Eng- 
lish words ; among them "rheumatism" was most 
frequently used. For years Kil-so-quah had been 
afiflicted with rheumatism, and her association of 
that word with her painful ailment made it one of 
the few she could comprehend. 

A government grant of land in Ohio, was made to 
her husband, but he traded it for three hundred 
and twenty (320) acres near Roanoke, which land 
he farmed for sixteen years. He died in 1846, and 
was buried near Roanoke, by the side of Kil-so- 
quah's cousin, Chief Coessie, whose husband had 
owned this half section of land, which dwindled 
to the forty (40) acres on which stands the little 



216 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

frame house which was the widow's home, and 
where Anthony now lives. 

Two children survive, namely: the son Anthony, 
who cared for her for years, and Mrs. Mary E. 
Taylor, of Oklahoma. 

"Tony" has been called an Indian hunter, y.nd 
while he never made much of a success at farming 
the land on which they lived, he always took good 
care of his mother and was her most faithful com- 
panion. 

He has not been without his share of sorrow. He 
married Millie Downs, a white school teacher, and 
they lived happily together until ten years ago when 
she died. Tony, now seventy years old, never recov- 
ered from the shock of his wife's death. 

A few months ago Kil-so-quah's daughter, Mary 
E. Taylor, arrived at Roanoke from the Miami res- 
ervation in Oklahoma, where she has a home of her 
own, and is employed as a teacher in an Indian 
school. Her Indian name is Town-ne-com-quah 
(Blowing Snow) and she assisted in taking care of 
her aged mother. She is quite a genteel and cour- 
teous lady, with an English education, w^riting for 
me very plainly her Indian name and address, and 
its meaning. 

Six children were born to Kil-so-quah and her last 
husband, four of whom died while young. Mary, 
the daughter, went to Oklahoma several years ago 
and married an Indian Civil War veteran, who died 
a short time later. For some years all trace of her 
was lost, when finally she applied for a widow's 
pension, and Dr. S. Koontz, of Roanoke, located her 
from the Pension Bureau. Soon the lost daughter 
returned for a visit with Kil-so-quah. She contin- 
ued to reside in Oklahoma, but made yearly trips 
back to Roanoke to see her mother. There are no 
grandchildren, so this branch of Little Turtle's fam- 
ily will shortly become extinct. 

During her declining years "Setting Sun" clung 
tenaciously to the many relics of her ancestors, and 
not foi' any sum would she part with them. It was 
only when her advanced age compelled her to do 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 217 

SO that she deserted the wig-warn, the last remain- 
ing thread between her primitive past and civilized 
life. 

In 1899, the little log cabin, which was the home 
of Kil-so-quah and "Little White Loon", burned to 
the ground. Many relics and curios of the Miamis, 
and of the family were destroyed, some of which 
were of great value to museums and collectors. 
Most prized by Kil-so-quah of the property saved 
was a little shirt and a pair of moccasins, which her 
son had worn neai"ly seventy years before. 

Until rheumatism made her an invalid, no old 
settlers' meeting, or like event, was complete in this 
part of the country without her presence. Seated 
on a platform she would smilingly receive the atten- 
tion of curious crowds, not understanding the cause 
of her prominence, but being gratified by it. 

As an invalid she was as pathetic a figure as his- 
tory reveals or fiction describes. Practically os- 
tracized by her failure to speak English, she alter- 
nated between an arm chair and her bed. Hours, 
days and weeks she spent sewing diamond shaped 
figures on great quilts. During the latter part of her 
life, even the solace of work was taken from her by 
failing vision. All this she accepted stolidly and 
without complaint, illustrating a prominent charac- 
teristic of the Indian race. 

Her remark, translated by an interpreter, tells 
of her plight more clearly than all that has been 
written, "When I am busy I think of my work; when 
I am idle I think of how poor and alone I am". 

None of the stimulating excitement and romance 
with which Cooper surrounded LTncas and his father 
in "The Last of the Mohicans" relieved her 
uneventful life. The last of the pure blooded 
Miamis, and descendant of a long line of chieftains, 
she stoically dragged out the years in which a re- 
markable vitality kept life in her body. 

Kil-so-quah held to the customs of her tribe and 
lived in her wigwam until about ten years ago, 
when it fell to pieces from wear. She then occupied 



218 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

a room on the second floor of her cabin until it was 
destroyed by fire. 

She delighted in relating her early adventures, 
and especially one which occurred soon after her 
marriage. Upon hearing the baying of hounds she 
picked up a small hatchet and made her way to 
where the dogs had a large deer at bay, and from 
behind a tree she killed the deer by a blow from 
the weapon, and said that the white hunters toted 
the game away without offering her a mess of the 
venison. 

She had also presented a great many people with 
curios, among which is a miniature canoe she made 
for Dr. Koontz in 1910, the centennial year of her 
age, in appreciation for tobacco he had taken her. 

With the death of Kil-so-quah, the old Indian 
Princess, a curious incident, illustrating the singular 
way in which her mind worked, came to light. Her 
primitive ideas of life and death never deserted her, 
and a transaction she made eight years ago with 
Dr. Koontz, of Roanoke, her physician and family 
advisor, best bears this out. Anthony Revarre, the 
father of the only living son of Kil-so-quah, died 
many years ago. About eight years ago his bones 
were taken up and it was then that she sent for Dr. 
Koontz. When he arrived, through her son 'Tony" 
as interpreter, she told him her desire. The grave 
of her husband was soon to be lost, as the ground 
was being cleared, and she did not know where to 
place his remains and asked if he would take them 
up and place them in a box, and keep them in his 
office until she was called by the Great Spirit. She 
wanted them to be buried with her, and she did not 
know where the last resting place would be. Would 
he do that for an old woman? Accordingly, Dr. 
Koontz, William Koontz, James Barbour and Dr. 
Reed, of Fort Wayne, took up the bones of Kil-so- 
quah's husband, and those of Chief Coessie. The 
former were preserved and kept in the office of Dr. 
Koontz, at her wish, and in a neat little box covered 
with black cloth were interred with her remains, 
and once again the lovers are united. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 219 

The last public meeting- Kil-so-quah attended in 
Roanoke was in 1910, in her one hundredth anniver- 
sary, although as late as August 20, 1914, she at- 
tended the old settlers' meeting- at Columbia City. 
On Sunday, September 27, 1914, a reunion was held 
at the old homestead of all the Indians in this part 
of the State, and about forty-five were present. A 
war-dance was enjoyed and music was furnished 
by Kil-so-quah with an old pan and stick. This was 
one of the most enjoyable occasions of her recent 
years, as she was in the company of her own people, 
who could talk freely with her. Dr. Koontz and 
family were also present, as she always insisted that 
he be present at all of her gatherings. He had been 
her family physician for years, and she relied solely 
on his judgment as to where to go on all occasions. 
Members of the tribe who were present were : 
George Slussman, j\Irs. Archangel Engleman, Mrs. 
Judson Bundy Engleman, Richard Godfrey, Mrs. 
Stella Weber, ]\Ir. and Mrs. Howard and daughter 
Josephine. John, Charier- and Lawrence Engleman, 
Miss Eva Godfrey, Miss Lettie Engleman, Miss Vio- 
la Godfrey, Mr. and IMrs. James Bruel, James 
Barnes, Christ Engleman, William Cass, William 
Balser, John Engleman, Lawrence Weber, Elmer 
Bruel. Eliza Bruel, Sylvester Godfrey, James Burrel, 
John Owens, Clarence Godfrey, George Chance, wife 
and daughter. These were the invited guests who 
were present, with possibly a few others not herein 
mentioned. 

Thus with the passing of Kil-so-quah to the happy 
hunting ground, we lose the last of the royal Miamis 
and the oldest resident of the State of Indiana, who 
had enjoyed a national renutation. 

The funeral services of Kil-so-quah were held at 
Roanoke, in the St. Joseph's Catholic church, by 
Father Schmit of the Nix settlement on Tuesday 
the 7th, at 9 a. m., and consisted of the requiem 
high mass, by the presiding priest, after which they 
immediate^" proceeded to the grave, located in the 
circle of the I. 0. 0. F. graveyard, on the west side 
of the Fort Wayne road, one-half mile north of Roa- 



220 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

noke, and blessed the grounds. TTie remains were 
left in the church awaiting the arrival of the daugh- 
ter, Mary E. Taylor, in charge of Doretta E. Miller, 
of Roanoke, until Friday, at which time they were 
buried, the daughter having arrived on Thursday 
evening. 

The bones of the second husband of Kil-so-quah, 
Anthony Revarre, were neatly placed in a box cov- 
ered with black cloth, and placed crosswise in the 
grave at the head of Kil-so-quah. Our correspond- 
ent says that he saw the grave and box of bones 
therein, but did not return for the burial on Fri- 
day. Kil-so-quah was a Catholic, but her son 
'Tony" was not. 

When Kil-so-quah was born James Madison was 
President of the United States. Indiana was not 
yet admitted as a State. Only one President (Wash- 
ington) had died. Abraham Lincoln was only one 
year old. Daniel Boone was still hunting in the for- 
ests of Kentucky. The Battle of Tippecanoe was 
fought when she was only one year old. The War 
of 1812 began when she was two years old. When 
she was born Perry had not met and defeated the 
British on Lake Erie. The nation itself was young. 
The Declaration of Independence was then a matter 
of recent history, it being only thirty-four years old. 
The War of the Revolution was more vivid in the 
minds of the people than the Civil War is at the 
present time. Take the inventions, and you get a 
better idea of progress in the same length of time. 
There were no, railroads, for she was twenty years 
old when the first railroad was built. There were 
no electric lights, nor street cars, no telephones or 
graphophones. There were no shoe factories, the 
itinerant cobbler traveled from place to place and 
made up the family order. There were no news- 
papers as we know them today, no reapers, mowers, 
road machinery, and no roads worthy of the name. 
Timber on the farm was a detriment, not an asset. 

Take political conditions and you have another 
glimpse of what has come to pass in the life of Kil- 
so-quah. When the Indian Princess was born the 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 221 

two strong political parties were contending over the 
issue as to whether the State or National Govern- 
ment was the stronger. An issue that was settled 
only by the Civil War, but an issue that is now al- 
most lost sight of in the background of political his- 
tory, and is revived only in such sophistries as home 
government. Indeed, the party that then called for 
a loose central government has now advanced to the 
position where it advocates an even stronger cen- 
tralization than the centralized party of that time 
demanded. And all this has come about because the 
various means of communication has united the 
country, and because with this unity common inter- 
ests have broadened and expanded until the condi- 
tion of one coast affects conditions on the other. 

Let us look at the development of the country for 
a moment. In 1810, when Kil-so-quah was born, 
the shooting of Alexander Hamilton was still fresh 
in the minds of the people. Andrew Jackson had 
not yet fought his famous battle at New Orleans. 
Napoleon had just sold the Louisiana Territory to 
the L'nited States. It was a worthless little tract, 
extending far up the valley of the Mississippi. It 
was a mere bagatelle, a mere territory of marsh, 
river and hill, to which Napoleon had tied a string, 
so that if occasion arose he could pull it back again 
into the French Empire. 

In those days the wild west began to the west of 
the Allegheny mountains. In those days the white 
man had scarcely begun his real conquest of Ohio 
or Indiana. Within the memories of Kil-so-quah 
Indiana had been made a great State. The native 
Indian has become almost extinct and civilization 
has so swept the country from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific, that one may ride the trolley car through 
some parts of the Rocky mountains. 

If all this has happened within the life of one 
woman whose longevity we may for example say is 
twice the normal, what may we expect within the 
next hundred, nay within the next fifty years? 

The weight of many moons hung over her head, 
the once jet black hair and piercing eye that was 



222 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

dimmed with age, while this Indian Princess of the 
long ago quietly awaited the call to the happy hunt- 
ing grounds, with that same stoical indifference that 
has characterized her name and race. She did not 
live in the present age, her thoughts dw^elt in the 
days of the long ago, when, free and unhampered 
by the bonds of civilization, she watched the oncom- 
ing hordes of whites, that was ultimately destined 
to oust her people from their primeval haunts. She 
had little knowledge of what was transpiring today, 
and was little concerned about the things of tomor- 
row. 

With marvelous tenacity of body she bid fair to 
see many more moons pass by in endless routine. 
Her joys were gone, fled with the race that is fast 
passing into oblivion, with the exception of one, and 
that was a little charred and blackened pipe. Thrice 
daily this little old pipe was lighted, by the helping 
hands of her son or daughter, who consecrated 
themselves to the solace of her dying days, and she 
would pufl" away contentedly and dream of the days 
of yore. Despite her age, her intellect was still 
sharp, and she chattered of the old days in the dead 
language of the Miamis, and related anecdotes of 
her childhood with startling ease. A red bandanna 
handkerchief, a relic of the past, encircled her grey 
head, and she was garbed in a plain calico dress. 
Two plain gold band rings were on the fingers of 
the left hand, gifts, it is said, of the days when the 
Miamis ruled the Wabash and the Miami valleys. 
They went to the grave with her, as such is the cus- 
tom of the red men, that the jewels prized in life 
should accompany the owner on the journey into 
the happy hunting grounds. 

That she came to a chieftain's household during 
the May moon, 1810, on the forks of the Wabash 
river below Huntington, Indiana, where she grew 
to be a free child of the wilderness; that we our- 
selves have seen Kil-so-quah in her declining years, 
is something that affords us a pleasure of no small 
degree, and as time rolls on, future generations will 
step into the limelight of the historian's pen, and 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 223 

read of the great Miami Confederacy as it was when 
the white man entered their wilderness domain, 
down to the time when the last full blooded Miami 
Indian, Kil-so-quah, passed from this stage of action 
and now gently sleeps on the western hills of the 
Little river, near Roanoke, within a few miles of 
Aboit creek, where her illustrious grandfather 
gained his first victory over Labalme. 

Kil-so-quah, her husband and daughter-in-law, 
and finally "Tony" himself when death shall come, 
will all be interred inside the circle of the I. 0. 0. F. 
graveyard which was kindly donated to them for 
this purpose, her son being a member of the Red- 
men and Odd Fellows. It is more than likely that 
a historical monument will be erected to the mem- 
ory of Kil-so-quah, the last full blooded Miami In- 
dian. 

"Faded the summer day, 
Gone to its rest. 
Far in the roseate 
Isles of the west. 
And in the quiet sky 
Softly and bright, 
Glimmering stars 
Gem the pathway of night. 

"Thus when Life's evening 
Around us doth close. 
Calmly and still, 
May we sink to respose; 
When the lone twilight 
Is breathing the spell 
Biding ye fondly 
Bright visions — farewell." 

— Anonymous. 



XIV. 

THE GODFREY FAMILY. 

The Godfrey family was one of the most interest- 
ing and notable of the Miami nation in northern In- 
diana for many years. 

Probably the first spelling of their family name 
was Godefree, which is the old French form of the 
name, corrupted later into Godfri, and written at 
the present time by the family near Peru as God- 
frey. 




TREATY MEDAL ANDRKW JACKSON 

Near Peru, Ind , 1829, now in possession of Peter Godfrey. 
Presented to Francis Godfrey Debulion, Miami Treaty, 1829. 

The early ancestor of the family was Francis 
Godfrey, the son of a French trader by the daugh- 
ter of an Indian chief named Osage. This Francis 
Godfrey was a war chief among the Miamis. He 
married a Miami woman and they made their home 
along the Wabash river near Peru. Their son, 
James, born in this home in 1810, moved in 1844 to 
Allen county and here married a daughter of Chief 
LaFontaine. They had twelve children, all born 
on the Indian Reservation near Fort Wayne. 

224 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 225 

Another son of Francis Godfrey was Gabriel God- 
frey, who estabhshed his home near Peru, Indiana, 
and became known as Chief of the Miamis. It be- 
ing customary for some of the newspapers to speak 
of every Miami Hving in those later days as a chief 
whether he had been or not. 

The death of Francis Godfrey, the ancestor of the 
Godfrey's occurred in 1840, the year before the 
death of Chief Richardville. 

As mentioned above Francis Godfrey's first wife 
was a Miami woman, named Soc-a-jag-wa, whom 
he married early in life. In later years he chose 
for a second wife a half breed girl, twenty years 
of age, a daughter of Francis Slocum. The first 
wife, still living, remained in the home and became 
a voluntary servant. 

Francis Godfrey was an able war chief, and af- 
terward in the treaties made with the government 
was given six sections of land near Peru, and for a 
time was engaged in the mercantile trade. 

In his great log, castlelike home he lived like an 
English lord, keeping about his house many ser- 
vants and dispensing hospitality to his guests with 
a cheer and liberality that made him known far and 
near. 

It was under these circumstances that the first 
wife realized that her youthful beauty had to some 
extent faded away, and that she pleased no longer 
his guests. The latter as a rule, were cultured 
white people, who suggested that he select a young 
wife — one whose beauty and graces would shine as 
an ornament in the palatial home and correspond 
with the style of living which fortune had wafted 
to him, very largely because of the fact that he was 
an Indian Chief. Thus it came that Francis God- 
frey married the daughter of Francis Slocum. 

The life story of the mother is a very interesting 
one. We will not give it here, but refer the reader 
to J. P. Dunn's "True Indian Stories", page 213, 
on "The Lost Sister of Wyoming". We are told 
that the first born by the second wife was none oth- 



226 



LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 



er than Gabriel Godfrey, who died near Peru only 
a few years ago. 

In the fall of the year 1914, we visited the home 
of Peter Godfrey, who lives four miles east of Peru. 
This man is a son of Gabriel Godfrey, and a great 
grandson of Francis Slocum. While here we were 
treated with due courtesy, and were shown some of 




CLARENCE GODFEET, PERU, INDIANA 

Great Grandson of Chief Francis Godfrey Dehulion and Grandson of Chief 

Gabriel Godfrey, Great Grandson of Francis Slocum, 

ihe lost Sister of Wyoming. 

the old Miami heirlooms, no doubt worn by an In- 
dian Princess more than a hundred years ago; one 
a ladies' sack, ornamented with more than one hun- 
dred silver brooches, one silver medal two and one- 
half inches in diameter presented to Francis God- 
frey on Treaty creek, Miami county, Indiana, at a 
treaty there held in 1829, with the inscription 
^'Andrew Jackson, President", on one side, and a 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 227 

bust of Andrew Jackson on the other, in addition 
to an engraving of tomahawk and peace pipe and 
handle of tomahawk crossing one another. Another 
medal two inches in diameter was shown which had 
been presented at the same treaty to Captain Brue- 
ret, who married another daughter of Francis Slo- 
cum. 

In the year 1900, a creditable monument was 
erected at the Indian cemetery, ten miles east of 
Peru, on the banks of the Mississinewa river, by 
public subscription, at the grave of Frances Slocum 
(The Lost Sister of Wyoming). One of her grand- 
daughters married one Mr. Bundle, who was a Bap- 
tist preacher. His granddaughter, Victoria Bun- 
die, who now lives in Peru, was one who helped to 
unveil the monument of her great grandmother, in 
the year 1900. 

We herewith present a photo of Clarence God- 
frey, grandson of Gabriel Godfrey, dressed in true 
Indian apparel as he appeared, when playing the 
warrior in the Indian show, a few years ago. 

The Raccoon (A-say-pong) Sachem of the Miamis 
had a village on the west bank of Little river, twelve 
miles southwest of Fort Wayne, now on the present 
farm of John Zetsman. Here the Raccoon chief 
dwelt in a brick house more than a hundred years 
ago. 

Dr. Koontz, an old resident of Roanoke, tells us 
that the oldest inhabitant can tell nothing about the 
date when this house was built, or from whence 
came the bricks of which it was constructed. This 
old house has long since been removed and nothing 
remains but a few brick bats. On this site I\Ir. 
Zetsman found a gold watch chain, steel tomahawks, 
and a very fine flint spear, of which we became the 
owner. The oldest settlers say that this old house 
was scarred by bullets from the Indians' rifle, both 
inside and out, through the plastering, overhead, and 
through the roof, for some unaccountable reason. 



228 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

CHIEF COESSIE. 

Chief Coessie was a son of Ma-kah-ta-mon-quah, 
or Black Loon, and a grandson of Me-c:he-kin-no- 
quah, and lived the major part of his life on Eel 
river, in what is now Whitley county, Indiana. 

His name is honored by calling a town after him 
in the above county, on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne 
and Chicago railroad, near the former location of 
Chapines reservation on Eel river. 

He was one of the principal orators at his grand- 
father's funeral, at Fort Wayne, July, 1812, on 
which occasion he narrated the principal events in 
the life of his grandfather and pronounced a strong 
eulogy on him. Surely no one could have been bet- 
ter qualified for this task than he who had known 
him in his later days so perfectly and so well. 

Coessie is said, to a certain extent, to have in- 
herited some of those noble qualities of mind and 
heart from his grandfather, Little Turtle. 

He died in 1854, his only son having died the year 
before. The latter was buried at his home, now the 
Stouff farm, one and one-half miles east of Columbia 
City, Indiana. Coessie's wife and two daughters 
remained on the farm, near Eel river, Whitley 
county, Indiana, until the spring of 1868, when they 
sold it and removed to Roanoke, where they have 
long since died, having no descendants, to the writ- 
er's knowledge. 

Coessie's first burial was down on Little river, 
near Roanoke, by the side of Mr. Revarre, Kil-so- 
quah's husband. 

A committee from the old settlers' association of 
Whitley county went to Roanoke, Huntington coun- 
ty, Indiana, in 1910, and obtained permission to dis- 
inter the remains and bring them to Columbia City 
for burial on the Court House Square, where they 
proposed to erect a memorial of some sort. They 
obtained permission to leave the remains temporar- 
ily in the storage vault of the First National Bank, 
of Columbia City, until the day of their annual meet- 
ing. In the meantime certain oldtime citizens, who 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 229 

were unable to look at the project in a broad way, 
as an historical memorial, insisted on raking up 
ancient prejudices against the individual, Coessie, 
because he lived in a manner displeasing to them 
and contrary to their ideas. 

The adverse sentiment created left the committee 
nothing to do but to drop the matter. Disposition 
was asked for the bones of Coessie, but so far none 
has been made. This storm of opposition from the 
citizens at the time has delayed the execution of this 
design. So the remains of Coessie, a grandchild 
of Little Turtle, have been held in the vault ot the 
Columbia City Bank for the past six years, and may 
remain there for an indefinite period. They still 
hope at some future time to accomplish their object, 
and to erect a statue suitable to his name and honor. 

Coessie was a Pottawattomie nickname, by which 
he was commonly known. His true Miami name 
was Me-tek-kyah, meaning forest or woods. 

EVA C. CORTHELL. 

Through correspondence with Mrs. Eva C. Cor- 
thell, 2333 Silver street, Jacksonville, Florida, we 
received a statement in regard to the children of 
Captain William Wells. She never knew of any but 
her grandmother (Jane Wells Griggs) and a sister; 
and at the time of the first Dearborn trouble, or 
probably prior to that time. Captain William Wells 
sent his wife and two daughters back to his people 
in Kentucky, where the two girls had instructions in 
needlework, etc., from the Catholic sisters. 

Mrs. Corthell says that her grandmother, Jane 
Griggs, had ten children, the oldest of whom died 
some five years ago. The next uncle, Chas. Sumner, 
is dead, having left a son, Warren Griggs, a tailor by 
trade, who now resides in Peru, Indiana. One sis- 
ter, the youngest, died many years ago, leaving five 
children, all of whom received a good education. 
The mother of Eva Corthell, Martha J. Spaulding, 
daughter of Jane Griggs, was next to the youngest 
child. There were five of the Spaulding children of 




EVA C. CORTHELL 

Great Great Granddaughter of Chief Little Turtle, and Great Grand- 
daughter of Captain William Wells, in native Indian costume. 
Taken at Chicago, September 1, 1912. 

230 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 231 

whom Eva C. was the eldest. This lady has been 
living in Florida for the last fourteen years, whither 
she had gone for the benefit of failing health, and 
now calls this state her permanent home. She is 
now forty-nine years old, and is very proud of her 
Indian ancestry and blood. 

Her sister, Mrs. Jeannette Thornton, is forty- 
four; her brother Frank is forty-one; and Charles 
is thirty-eight. 

Other uncles and aunts of the ten Griggs children 
were married, but most of them died young without 
children. Uncle Oliver and Warren have been dead 
many years. 

Anthony Wayne Griggs, the uncle who recently 
died, and the mother of Mrs. Eva Corthell, who died 
a couple years ago, were the last survivors of the 
family. 

Through the courtesy of this estimable little lady, 
Eva C. Corthell, we present herewith a reproduc- 
tion of her photograph in Indian costume. The ar- 
tist was very much pleased with her in the Indian 
attire, and said that she showed plainly traces of 
the blood of heroes. She informs us that for some 
cause her parents kept the fact of her Indian blood 
in the background, until she was a woman, and had 
become mistress of herself. She says that life with 
her was a tragedy from the beginning, the loss of 
mother, husband and child having been the cause of 
many a lonesome hour. 

"Slow pass our days in childhood 

Thus our golden moments goeth by 
Rapidly they glide in manhood 
And in life's decline they fly." 



XV. 
ROMANTIC EPISODES. 

LA SALLE AT THE MIAMI VILLAGES. 

"Should you ask me, whence these stories? 

Whence these legends and traditions, 
. With the odors of the forest, 

With the dew and damp of meadows. 

With the curling smoke of wigwams. 

With the rushing of great rivers, 

With their frequent repetitions. 

And their wild reverberations, 

As of thunder in the mountains? 

I should answer, I should tell you. 

From the forests and the prairies, 

From the great lakes of the Northland, 

From the land of the Ojibways, 

From the land of the Dacotahs, 

From the mountains, moors, and fen-lands." 

— Hiawatha. 

The earliest white settlers in the town of Fort 
Wayne, Indiana, were Mrs. Laura Suttenfield and 
her husband, who settled within the enclosure of the 
old fort in 1814. Mrs. Suttenfield came as a bride 
of eighteen years and remained here until her death 
— a period of seventy-two long and eventful years. 
To this couple was born a daughter, November 29, 
1817 — the first female white child in the history of 
the place. 

The following story, as well as a few others of 
like nature, have been handed down in memory 
through some two hundred years without being 
printed by the inquisitive historian or the effusive 
newspaper writer until July 22, 1911, when it ap- 
peared in one of the Fort Wayne dailies. Mr. Frank 
Dildine, a well known newspaper correspondent, se- 

232 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 233 

cured the tale from the old pioneer mother, Mrs. 
Suttenfield. 

These stories are not pure fiction, but are based 
on facts printed in the pages of local history or as 
magazine articles on early events or the reminis- 
cences of pioneers, who were here while the ]\Iiami 
Indians were here. With some of th-ese oldest pion- 
eers it was Mr. Dildine's good fortune to be inti- 
mately acquainted. They are retold here by the 
consent and through the courtesy of the above 
named gentleman. They are told in his own way 
with the fact still remaining. 

"The Miamis belonged to the Algonquin group, 
one of the great Indian families of the north, and 
desiring to secure a new location, they sent out their 
explorers in search of it. These explorers skirted 
the coast of the lakes and then, turning into the 
rivers, rowed along them. Near the junction of the 
St. Marys and the St. Joseph at the head of the 
Maumee they found the ideal spot. It was here the 
Miamis established their home which they called 
Kekionga. This was their capital in connection 
with other places in this region, among the most 
notable of which Avas the famous Little Turtle vil- 
lage near Blue River Lake twenty miles distant, 
where Little Turtle was born and where his father 
had lived long before this event occurred. 

"Among the western tribes there were none great- 
er or more powerful. Thej^ were brave in battle, 
feared by their enemies, and sought as allies by 
other tribes needing their assistance. In peace they 
were hospitable, kind and true; in war they were 
fearless and crafty. They played an important part 
in moulding the destinies of the old Northwest re- 
gion of the country and left a deep impression upon 
our early history. 

"It was the summer of 1679 — or possibly 1680 — 
in the month of IMay, that an Indian maiden, wan- 
dering along the river's shore, saw in the distance 
a fleet of canoes coming up the stream, eight in all, 
as she counted them. The blades of the paddles 
sparkled in the sunlight and the water dripping 



234 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

from them reflected its many colored hues. As they 
approached nearer she saw that the occupants were 
not of her people, and, with the exception of two, 
were not Indians, being dressed in different garb 
— a garb for men she had never seen before. Who 
were they ? What was the purpose of these strange 
people in coming to the Miami village? Did they 
come as friends or enemies? These were the ques- 
tions she asked herself, and, without waiting for an 
answer, she hurried with fleet feet to the Miami 
village, only a short distance away, and told her 
startling news. Soon all was excitement in the 
Indian abode. The alarm was given and the war- 
riors hurriedly seized their bows and arrows, for 
these were their weapons of defense, and hastened 
to the river banks prepared, if necessary, to resist 
any attack the invaders of their homes and hunting 
grounds might make. 

"It was LaSalle and his men — a company of some 
thirty consisting of French soldiers, his lieutenants 
and assistants and two Indian guides on one of their 
exploring expeditions. LaSalle and his men, how- 
ever, had witnessed many such scenes before. They 
had visited Indian settlements in Canada along the 
St. Lawrence river; in Michigan, on the shores of 
Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit river, 
and at points skirting Lake Erie in Ohio. For ten 
years LaSalle had been engaged in this work. 

"It was at a point on the Maumee near the con- 
fluence of the St. Marys and St. Joseph that the 
Miamis had assembled to await the coming of La- 
Salle and his party who had halted their canoes 
some distance down the river, apparently for con- 
sultation. Among the Indians all was excitement 
for they knew not the strangers. Finally one of the 
canoes pulled to the shore and one of the Indian 
guides, LaSalle and two soldiers alighted and ap- 
proached the wondering Miamis bearing the calu- 
met, the pipe of peace. Seeing that the white men 
were on a friendly mission, the Miami Chief, Big 
Horn, and three of his warriors met LaSalle and his 
companions. The conversation was carried on 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 235 

through one of the Indian guides with LaSalle's 
party and after the cahmiet had been oifered by La- 
Salle and passed around to each of the Indians who 
took a whiff in turn, LaSalle said: 

"I come to you as a friend and brother and wish 
to estabHsh relations by which we can carry on a 
lasting business in the furs which you get by hunt- 
ing. I will pay you for them in guns and powder, 
knives, hatchets, kettles, beads and many other ar- 
ticles that we Frenchmen have in our country and 
which you have not. Thus we can do you good and 
you can do us good. We can be brothers. 

"I have heard of you," replied the Indian Chief. 
"Our runners, who have been among the Miamis of 
the North and other tribes, have told us about you. 
We have two of your guns and some powder and 
knives. This country is rich in fur animals. We greet 
you, we welcome you among us. Our wigwams will be 
open to you as long as you care to stay." LaSalle 
thereupon explained to the chief that their stay with 
them could be only for a day or two and stated that 
their storehouse and the vessel in which they kept 
their European goods were on the lakes. Eventual- 
ly they expected to establish a trading post at the 
villages. He had brought along only a few articles 
some of which he would give to them as presents. 
Suiting the action to the word he summoned the 
little fleet of canoes to approach. From one canoe 
he took several hatchets, knives, etc., which he dis- 
tributed among the warriors. To the women were 
given ribbons, cloths, stockings, gloves and articles 
of apparel. 

"In the evening a great feast was served in the 
Miami villages in honor of the French visitors. The 
menu comprised buffalo, bear and deer meats cut 
from the tenderest and juiciest parts ; fish fresh from 
the rivers ; fruits of different kinds ; corn bread and 
honey. The health of the guests was drunk in pure, 
cold spring water. Rum, which afterward proved 
their curse, had not yet found its way into the homes 
of the Miamis, 

"LaSalle and his party remained with the Miamis 



236 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

for two days. They were treated royally, paid high 
honor and permitted to relax and enjoy the occa- 
sion. The day after their arrival the Indians par- 
ticipated in games of various kinds. It was a day 
of pleasure to all and when LaSalle left on his jour- 
ney it was with the promise that he would return 
in a short time, and establish a post at the village 
which would give the Miamis a means of exchang- 
ing the furs of the wild animals which they caught 
for articles of civilized manufacture desired by 
them." 

MERVIELLE AND BRIGHT EYES. 

With the LaSalle parties who first visited the 
Miami villages at the head of the Maumee in 1680, 
was a young French officer named Ferdinand Mer- 
vielle. His love of adventure was the motive that 
had prompted him to come to America with the 
trader and explorer. He had been with him in all 
his travels, and was familiar with the Indian ways 
and had learned much of their language; he was 
skilled in the science of surveying and his specialty 
with the LaSalle party was the preparation of the 
charts giving the travel ways and general map of 
the regions visited by the explorer. These charts 
and maps were afterward forwarded to the French 
government. The survey for the preparation of 
these charts had not been completed when LaSalle 
left the Miami village. And so Mervielle remained 
and with him an assistant and an Indian guide. The 
work was an important one because of the location, 
this being a strategic point at the confluence of the 
three rivers, the Maumee flowing into Lake Erie and 
the important diverging branches, the St. Joseph 
and St. Marys. Short trips into the surrounding 
country had to be made so Mervielle remained here 
several days, probably weeks. He was purposely 
slow in completing his task, and this was the secret 
of his delay. Among the Indian maidens he met and 
whom he became acquainted with was one known in 
her tribe as Bright Eyes, so called (the Miamis ex- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 237 

plained) , because her eyes were like the pearls found 
on the lake shores. 

She was the fairest maiden of her tribe; the 
daughter of one of the chiefs and loved by all. It 
was this Indian girl that first won Mei'vielle's fancy 
and afterward his love. Day after day they met in 
the forests nearby and passed the hours together, 
meeting by accident at first, for Bright Eyes loved 
the forests and from early childhood delighted to 
roam them. But after their first few meetings by 
appointment, and during their happy days the In- 
dian girl had learned what true love was, so too, 
had the Frenchman. After finishing his w^ork one 
afternoon Mervielle started out in search of the 
Indian girl and found her seated on the river's bank 
beneath a large oak tree, their favorite meeting 
place, and stealing upon her silently saw that she was 
so deeply engaged in her own thoughts, that she had 
not noticed his approach until he stood directly in 
front of her. As she lifted her eyes a glad look 
came into them, and in a voice in which there was a 
ring of the happiness she felt, she exclaimed, "Oh, 
it's you. I'm so glad." "And of what were you 
thinking so deeply," he asked, "as not to have noticed 
my approach? Of the beauty of the sunlit fleeting 
clouds and the sparkling w^aters, or of yourself, 
your happy past and what the future has in store for 
you?" "I think perhaps my thoughts might be called 
dreams," she replied. "I am given to day dreams 
when I am seated here alone." "What was the na- 
ture of your dreams today," he asked. "I guess my 
mind was over in France that home of yours about 
which you have told so much." "And to which I must 
return before long," said Mervielle. "Will you be 
sorry when I go ?" "I will be very lonely," the girl re- 
plied, "but do you go soon?" "Yes, tomorrow, our 
work is now all finished. It was finished two days 
ago. You have kept me here since then." "Me?" 
questionably said Bright Eyes. "Yes, you," an- 
swered Mervielle. "I find it hard to leave you. I 
can't leave you forever," and he told her of his love ; 
of his desire to make her his wife ; of his wish to take 



238 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

her to his home in France. "My father is a nobleman 
there," he said. ''He is the owner of large estates and 
upon his death I will succeed to his title and a great 
part of his fortune," and he drew for her a picture 
of the grand life that would be hers, a happy life in 
that different world to her. It needed not that pic- 
ture of wealth to win the consent of the Indian 
maiden to go with him. She knew only one world 
that was the forest world, in which she had spent 
her entire life. She loved it, she loved her home 
and her people, but she loved the young French 
officer better. Her whole heart was his ; she would 
trust him ; she would do anything to always be with 
him; she would go. And then Mervielle explained 
he wanted to give her plenty of time to weigh the 
matter well in her mind. He wished her to take 
the step knowing what it meant — a separation from 
her own people, the leading of a different sort of 
life. He must go on the morrow to Quebec. His 
duties called him there for the immediate comple- 
tion of the work in which he had been engaged. He 
would return in two moons and take her to Quebec 
and there they would be married. On the morrow 
when the canoe left the Miami village with Mervielle 
and his companion and Indian guide, and plowed the 
waters of the Maumee an Indian maiden stood on 
the shore and watched it until it was out of sight. 
The two moons had almost passed and Bright Eyes 
waited and watched for her lover's return. He did 
not come. But with love's faith she knew he would 
not disappoint her. One day she was seated along 
the river's bank, their favorite meeting place think- 
ing of him and the happiness that would be theirs, 
when, turning a bend in the river she saw a canoe 
approaching. A lone occupant she said to herself. 
"I wonder if it is he." A thrill of joy came to her 
only to be crushed on a nearer approach of the boat 
gliding swiftly over the waters. "No," she said. "It's 
an Indian." Nearer and nearer the canoe came and 
then she recognized the occupant as the Indian 
guide, who had been with Mervielle at the village. 
Hope and fear struggled in her heart. Did he bring 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 239 

good or bad news? As the canoe reached the point 
where she was seated it turned to the shore and she 
was there to greet him as the Indian landed. "You 
come from him," she said. "Yes," the Indian rephed, 
and then the Indian gave her the message he was 
sent to deUver. Mervielle was ill — not seriously so, 
he said, but his illness made it unwise for him to 
come to her. He wanted her to come to him. It 
was miles away, many miles across land and across 
the great lake at a point on the Detroit river near 
to Lake Erie. There he would be waiting for her 
and they would go to Detroit to be married. The 
Indian guide explained that if her people knew of 
her intentions to join Mervielle they would oppose 
her going. "They would kill me," he said, hence it 
would be best to go secretly if she decided to leave 
with him. Such he said had been Mervielle's in- 
structions. Would she go? Think well, before an- 
swering me, he said. I will take a smoke, and then 
Bright Eyes can answer me, and leaving her he 
walked a few paces away, threw himself on a grassy 
spot and took out his pipe. He had been smoking 
only a few minutes when the Miami girl came over 
to him and in a voice expressive of fixed determina- 
tion and the consciousness of having done the right 
thing, said, "I will go." "When?" asked the Indian. 
"Now," she replied. "If we wait" — pointing toward 
the Indian village, "they will defeat any plans we 
might make. We will go at once. I love my people, 
but I love my lover more," she said, and stepped into 
the canoe with the Indian emissary. They were soon 
speeding through the waters toward Detroit. For 
days and weeks the Miamis searched the woods and 
the banks of the rivers for her and then they gave 
up the task as a hopeless one. Bright Eyes was 
dead, they said. Drowned in the river or devoured 
by wild beasts, or possibly carried away captive by 
the Iroquois, one of the nations of Indians with which 
they had been at war. 

Mervielle was waiting for her. His love for the 
Indian maiden was not the love dream of an hour, it 
was deep seated and lasting. It was true love, and 



240 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

when after her long journey he met her at the rivers 
shore, his greeting was, "I knew you would come," 
and her reply was : "I could do nothing else." Mer- 
vielle had about recovered from his illness — a bad 
cold he had contracted from exposures, and the 
next day with the Indian girl he left for Quebec, 
where they were married by a Jesuit Missionary. 
Quebec had been a French settlement since 1608. 
His exploration trips Mervielle told the girl he had 
decided to give up, he would be kept in Quebec, prob- 
ably for a year. During that time she was to study 
the French language, so that when she went to 
France to live she would be able to converse. She 
made wonderful advancement in the acquirement 
of the new language, and their life in a cottage by 
the river's side near to the forest was a happy one. 

Mervielle's work in Canada ended, they sailed for 
France where he gave up his commission in the army, 
and they went to live on an estate in the southern 
part of the country which his father had given him. 
There a son was born to them, and within a year, 
due largely to the exposure during his life in Amer- 
ica, Mervielle took ill with a fever and died. Then 
came the troubles of Bright Eyes. While Mervielle 
lived his strong personality was sufficient to protect 
her from the disrespect felt by his sisters toward 
her on account of her Indian blood. But when he 
died this broke into a storm of hate, and they did all 
in their power to injure her. Only the elder Mer- 
vielle, her husband's father. Count Mervielle, was 
true to her. He treated her like a daughter and was 
deeply attached to her son, who bore his name Juan, 
and for whom he repeatedly said he would do great 
things in the way of future advancement. This 
the sisters and a brother were determined to pre- 
vent. A plot was formed to ruin Bright Eyes in 
their father's favor by convincing him that she was 
unfaithful. In this way they succeeded, and in a 
passion the father told her to leave. Take the 
Indian brat and go, he said. He did not care where 
they went only that they were out of his sight. 

This aroused all of her Indian spirit of her na- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 241 

ture. Her heart cried out for revenue against tho^P 
whom she knew had poisoned his mfnd ~t he, 
but the passion was only for a moment, and then 

at 'h sTo.^""^ \'''''''T '^'r d«t^™i"ed t; take him 
at his word Some day she said, I hope you will 
know the truth. I loved your son too well to visit 
my reveng-e on your family, the Bible he taught me 

rod 'ti.'?' ^Z^\^'' }^^^ vengeance belongl^o 
God. That night, when sleep had closed his eyes and 
ears of all others in the castle. Bright Eyes and her 
infant son stole out into the darkness and left to re- 
join her tribe at the Miami village. It was a big 
journey, but she accomplished it successfully ^ 

She was welcomed back, but she had lost her 
Indian cheer and brightness. She had loved he- 
over husband with her whole heart. Now her 
affections were centered in their son and she lived 
imti he was old enough to understand the story of 

unVo hL'"^''^ '^' ^"^S^ ^^™' ^he incidents which led 
up to her marriage, of his birth and of her reasons 
for leaving France. She then died without know- 
ing throughout all these years that Count Merviehe 
had repented of his hasty action and had searched 
for her and her son. She did not know that he had 
obtained convincing proof of her innocence and 
desired to make atonement for the wrong She dM 

that onlei' d' '"' f V^^ f ^^^^'^^^^^ --^' ^ead atl 
mat on her dying bed had made a confession that 

(hirLilnnff^^'J^^^/".^^^'^^^ t« "^^ke her son 
(nis giandson) the heir to his t tie and estates And 

ITmeirAT'^'t '^'-"^^ ^^^^" '' until thetge 
ot titteen. A French emissary who had been sent 

out by his grandfather in France to search for him 
Miaiiiis told him the story in detail. It was while 
nlfn"'^''.' ^.1^* ^^ ^'''^'''^ h^ "^^t the priest who 
fntho^'if ^ "'" ^^^•^^^.^"y "Siting his mother Ind 
tathei m marriage and learned from him that it was 
altogether probable that he would find her here 
Count Mervielle," he continued, "was greatly del 
ceived. He was grieved over the wrong ^done your 



242 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

mother and you. It is the one great desire of his now 
rapidly closing life to atone for it. He wants both of 
you back with him before he dies." "My mother can 
never return to him," said the young man. "She is 
dead and in that heaven that your missionaries tell 
us about." "Well," replied the Frenchman, "your 
grandfather would be happy to have you with him. 
You would be his heir inheriting his estates ; you 
would be one of the great men in France, Count 
Mervielle. Let me tell you what that would mean," 
and then the French representative drew a word 
picture of the life that would be his. A picture 
that appealed strongly to his ambition for his moth- 
er had told him much about the French and France, 
and of the higher opportunities of civilized life. 
Mervielle thought long before giving the French- 
man his final answer, then with tears in his eyes, 
brought there by the memories of his mother's love 
and with keen compassion for the old man in France, 
who was yearning for his return. He said, "Go 
back and tell my forefather that his Indian grand- 
son forgives him with his whole heart for whatever 
wrong he may have done my mother or myself, and 
that the temptation is great to return to him. 
I thank him for all of the love, and for all he would 
like to do for me, but tell him I will remain with 
my mother's people". The French barrister was 
dumfounded. He could hardly believe he heard the 
young Indian aright to refuse a title to the nobility 
of France, and the wealth that the change of life 
would bring to him. "Refuse assured ease, comfort, 
honor, happiness, that would be yours all the rest of 
your days, and remain to live and die among uncul- 
tured, uncivilized people, and remain a savage when 
such a future was within your reach, and one that 
was handed to you without the asking. Have you 
considered all of this?" asked the barrister. "I have 
thought well," replied the young man. "My mind is 
made up. I will remain with my mother's people." 
And thus the Frenchman left the young Juan Mer- 
vielle and went back to France to the old grand- 
father, who had driven his son's wife from him. 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 243 

THE ROMANCE OF ENSIGN HOLMES AND WAN-ET-A. 

In the early history of old Fort Miami and the 
Miami Indians there was no more romantic charac- 
ter than Ensign Holmes, who, after the Eni fsh 
acquisition of the old Northwest Territory, was sent 
to this post with a detachment of British soldiers 
to garrison the fort. His force consisted of about 
twenty men-a portion of the Sixtieth English 
Kifles— a regiment known as the Royal Americans 
and composed largely of Scotch Highlanders. Th s 

just after the surrender of the French garri- 
son a that fortress, and was later transferild to 



Detroit. 



It was during the early part of 1760 that Ensign 

Devofffr' 'f\r^^\^'' ^^^^" command from 
of Fo f w^"""'""^ old Fort Miami on the present site 
ot Foit Wayne, Indiana. This post together with 
those on the Great Lakes had come into English 

W^i F.t-'''"i* f ^^' '''''''^ ^^'^^^^h and Indian 
Wai. Ensign Holmes was one of the youngest 
officers of his regiment, brave and handsome a 
member of an aristocratic English family. aT was 
frequently the case in England at that time he had 

Th?'lS'J'^' f V'^t'' ^' ^ ^•^^^^^^^' occupation 
IhflP If i"'^''^ ^^ '^^^^^'"^ "^^^^^- his command, 
vMiile not large, was considered sufficient The 
hostile spirit of the Indians manifested before and 
during the recent war had subsided somewhat As 
a rule they were quiet and this condition prevailed 

soldwT^ ^? '''T ^•^^''' ^^^^ ^"-^^^^ «f the British 
soldiers. A Jesuit missionary who visited the post 
at this period wrote as follows- 

"This post Fort Miami, is commanded by Ensign 
Holmes. And here I can but remark on the for 
lorn situation of the officers as I found them at the 

drSsTf r/"'''"' '''''''^. "^ «^^ wilderness hun! 
fjll l^^' '" '''"'^ instances, from any congen- 
ial associations separated from the sort of life to 
which they had long been accustomed. 

Under such circumstances and with such sur- 



244 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

roundings it is not strange that these reUeved the 
monotony of their everyday life by love flirtations 
with some of the comely Indian maidens. At least 
such was the case with Ensign Holmes. The In- 
dian sweetheart of Holmes, known to the soldiers 
at the garrison as Wan-et-a, was the granddaughter 
of Wa-wa-tam, the Indian Chieftain. She was a 
fair Miami maiden whose beauty had won the hearts 
of many of the young warriors of the tribe. 

"It was some months after his arrival that the at- 
tention of the young Ensign was first attracted to 
the Indian girl. Standing on the river bank near 
the fort he saw her paddling her birchbark canoe 
up the river. She had gone only a rod or two when 
she turned to the opposite shore and alighting, lifted 
the light boat from the waters and carried it up 
the steep bank to a point some fifteen feet distant. 
There amidst some fallen timber and underbrush 
she hid it from view in one of the many similar 
nooks she had for this purpose. Waneta loved the 
river and the forest and frequently, with her rifle 
slung from her shoulder, rowed the one and roamed 
the other, going miles from the village to which she 
often returned richly laden with game for she was 
accounted one of the best shots among the Miamis. 
As she wandered back to the river bank again on 
this eventful occasion and passed along to the thick 
woods she presented a handsome picture to the Brit- 
ish officer on the opposite shore. He stood en- 
tranced and carried away her picture m his mind 
—carried it for days until one bright morning m 
September when he met her face to face m the 
woods. She had shot and killed a young deer and 
was standing near it, gun in hand, getting ready to 
drag it to her boat at the river's edge some distance 
away. She expressed such as her intention soon 
after Ensign Holmes came upon her. "I will help 
you", said he, and together they carried the carcass 
of the deer to the river and placed it in the canoe. 
Then, with the gallantry characteristic of the re- 
fined and cultured English officers of his time, he 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 245 

assisted her into the boat and she was soon on her 
way down the river to the village. 

The two, this Indian maiden and the young com- 
mandant needed no formal introduction. Each 
knew who the other was. Ensign Holmes was well 
known among the Miamis and the Miami girl 
known by the soldiers at the fort had already won a 
place in the thoughts of the officer which ere long 
seized strongly on his affections. The relation of 
the story of how their acquaintance ripened into 
love would be but the repetition of the story so well 
known by many who were lovers once, lovers yet 
with so very many, after one, two or three score of 
years have passed in their happy married lives. In 
her rambles through the woods and along the rivers 
the young officer, by design on his part, often man- 
aged to meet her and it was not long before their 
meetings were of an almost daily occurrence. Such 
continued to be the case for weeks and months, the 
Indian girl happy in her innocence and the officer 
content in the enjoyment of the pleasures of the 
hour. He loved her well because she was a beau- 
tiful wild flower and because he had nothing else 
to do. She loved him because he was handsome 
and brave and poured in her ears words that were 
pleasant to listen to. She knew she was only really 
happy when in his company. Hers was an honest, 
pure love, his may or may not have been that. That 
hers was not an illicit love is the testimony of Mrs. 
Laura Suttenfield, the pioneer mother of Fort 
Wayne, to whom I have befoi'e referred in this work. 
Mrs. Suttenfield says, "TTie two were married, al- 
though the fact was not generally known among the 
Miamis. They were married by the missionaries, 
and intended to keep the matter a seci'et until the 
time came for Ensign Holmes to be relieved of his 
post at Fort Miami for other duties at Montreal, 
Canada. Whether this was true or not, a son was 
born to this Indian girl, and it was the generally 
expressed opinion that Ensign Holmes was his fath- 
er. He grew up to be a drunken, worthless fellow 
and met his death at Raccoon village, near Fort 



246 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

Wayne, which was then the Miami village, in a 
drunken affray with another Indian." 

The early part of the year 1763 brought the 
threatening clouds that culminated in what is known 
in history as the Pontiac conspiracy, the plot formed 
among the Indians to wrest from the English the 
forts held by the latter in the northwest. 

Ensign Holmes was among the first of the com- 
mandants of these forts or trading posts (the others 
being located at St. Joseph, Michilmackinac, San- 
dusky, Presque Isle, Ouiatenon, Green Bay and 
Detroit) , to hear the muttering preceding this war 
storm. His information of the threat of personal 
harm to himself and something concerning the plot 
to attack Fort Miami came from Waneta. She had 
heard the warriors among the Miamis talking about 
it. Hidden from view she had listened to the plot 
discussed at one of their councils and hurrying to 
Holmes informed him of the danger and told as 
much of the details as she could learn. "They mean 
you harm", said the Indian girl, "they intend to 
attack the fort". And then she told him that the 
bloody belt, the emblem of war against the whites 
had been passed around the various tribes and fin- 
ally received at the local settlement. Holmes had 
faith in the girl, and brave in the performance of 
duty, called some of the leading Miamis into a coun- 
cil with him, when he openly told them of his dis- 
covery of their plot. The Indians denied every- 
thing. They said no bloody belt had been received 
by them and that they were in no way parties' to a 
plot to attack the fort. But Holmes was not satis- 
fied, and immediately began an investigation, which 
resulted in the finding of the bloody belt. Then he 
again called the Miami leaders together. Finally, 
with assurances of their continued friendship for 
the English, they admitted the receipt of the bloody 
belt, but said they had no guilty part in the affair 
and had no intentions of joining in the plot. This 
was in March, two months before the capture by 
the Indians of any of the forts in this region. En- 
sign Holmes had previously informed Major Glad- 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 247 

win, the commandant at Detroit of the probable 
existence of the plot to attack the forts and now, 
feeling that he had nipped the plot in its bud, he 
sent him a letter of which the following is a copy: 

Fort Miami, March 30, 1763. 

Dear Major: 

"Since my last letter to you wherein I acquainted 
you with the existence of the bloody belt in this vil- 
lage, I have made a search and found the story to be 
true. I assembled the Chiefs together and after a 
ti'oublesome time with them obtained the belt which 
with a speech you will receive inclosed. 

"This affair is very timely stopped and I hope the 
news of the peace will put a stop to any further 
trouble with these Indians who ai;e the principal 
ones in setting the mischief on foot. I send you the 
belt with this package which I hope you will for- 
ward to the General." 

Nearly two months passed and no harm came to 
Ensign Holmes and no attack was made on the 
fort. The English soldiers were watchful, however, 
and distrustful. And yet Holmes braved danger 
every day and hour, he moved among the Miamis 
seeming not to fear harm at their hands despite 
the cautions of his fort companions. It was on the 
night of May 27, 1763, that the fatal hour came to 
him. The plot was ripe for the Indians to seize 
the fort and with the cunning characteristic of their 
race they accomplished it successfully. This is the 
story as told by Brice, the historian, in his "History 
of Fort Wayne" : 

"The Indian girl with whom Holmes had been 
intimate for some time and in whom he had confi- 
dence, by compulsion on the part of the Indians, 
came to the fort and told Holmes, who was well 
versed in medicine and the treatment of disecises 
there was a sick squaw laying in a wigwam not far 
distant who had expressed a desire to have him 
come and see her. Holmes, ever ready to help in 
such cases and not suspecting that it was a trap on 
the part of the Indians, hastened to comply with 



248 LITTLE TURTLE, THE GREAT CHIEF 

the request and left the fort with the girl. They 
had passed the open space in front of the fort and 
were just entering the woods when the crack of 
two rifles was heard and Holmes fell to the ground 
dead. The shots aroused the guards and soldiers 
at the fort and the sergeant on duty rushed out to 
ascertain the cause. He had gone but a few steps 
when with triumphant shouts the Indians who had 
been concealed rushed on him and made him a cap- 
tive. This brought the soldiers within the fort, 
nine in all, to the palisades of the garrison who clam- 
ored up to see the movements without, when a Cana- 
dian named Godfrei and two other white men 
stepped defiantly forth and demanded the sur- 
render of the fort. The assurance was given the 
soldiers that if this demand was complied with their 
lives would be spared, but if refused all of them 
would be killed without mercy. Without a com- 
mander, without hope of making a successful re- 
sistance and fearing to hesitate the soldiers com- 
plied with the demand and the garrison gate swung 
open on its hinges. The surrender was complete." 

One account is that all of the soldiers in the fort 
were killed. I am unable to find any verification 
of this statement in the researches I have made. 

From this account of Mr. Brice the reader is led 
to conclude that the Miami girl, Waneta, was will- 
ingly in the plot of the Indians to bring about the 
death of Holmes. Such, Mrs. Suttenfield, who re- 
lated to me this story, did not believe to be true as 
she had seen and talked to the Indian girl fre- 
quently. Mrs. Suttenfield says the Indians, know- 
ing her devotion to the British Ensign, were care- 
ful to conceal from the Indian girl all knowledge of 
their intentions to do harm to Holmes. The tragedy 
of the night was as much of a surprise to her as it 
was to the soldiers in the garrison. Holmes did not 
keep himself locked continuously behind the garri- 
son gates. He was not afraid of danger, but was 
frequently even during the last few days of his life 
out in the open in the evenings walking with the 
girl. It is true they were going to the hut of the 
old sick squaw that night. They had paid her 



OF THE MIAMI INDIAN NATION. 249 

visits before. She was a friend of the ^irl and 
the latter took Holmes to see her, and his visits had 
alv/ays been a benefit to the old Indian woman. The 
murderous conspirators among the Indians knew of 
these visits and the time being ripe for the execu- 
tion of their determination to seize the fort, they 
chose this night and this way to accomplish the 
death of the British commandant. To connect the 
Miami gii'l in any guilty way with the plot to ac- 
complish the death of Holmes does not seem rea- 
sonable. In such a love test with her Indian nature 
she would have been true to her lover. She had 
proved it by her previous actions. 

Waneta knew from whose I'ifles had come the 
two bullets that had pierced the skull of the young 
officer, and in the execution of her Indian nature 
revenge was the only solace she had for the death 
of her lover that she carried through her long, long 
life. 

Within a week after the capture of Foi't INIiami 
a young Indian warrior was found dead in the 
woods, a bullet directly through his heart. Another 
disappeared from sight and was never heard of 
afterward. Both were jealous lovers of the Miami 
girl. She knew who killed the one and why the 
other disappeared and the Miamis in the village 
also knew. A few years after the events narrated 
above when the troubles with the Indians in the 
Northwest had been settled and peace had been 
restored between the French and English with the 
safety to the latter, it brought an elderly gentleman 
evidently from the wealthy class, who came here 
looking for his son. He was the father of Ensign 
Holmes. He had waited long and anxiously for his 
return to his -home in England and hearing of his 
death immediately started for this country. The 
Indian troubles prevented his coming to this region. 
Now these troubles over, he was here to find, if 
possible, where the remains of his son were buried 
and pay a father's tribute of tears to his memory. 
He felt, he said, that such a visit would appease 
in some degree the grief of the mother who had 
watched and waited in vain for the son's return. 

THE END. 



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